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Business Development
20 INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS and INCREASE SALES
- Suggestion Box at Checkout, ask your customers what product lines or other improvements they would like to see in your store. Cost: Nothing for the survey.
- Introduce a new product line, press release, offer food, cold beverages in summer months, and hot tea/chocolate in the winter months. Cost: minimal for drinks, inventory depends on quantity,
press release is free.
- Update your signage. Repaint in attractive colors, repair if necessary. Cost: minimal, paint and labor
- Free advertising, press releases. Things to announce, new employee, expansion, new products, new location. Cost: minimal/free
- Radio spot advertising announcing specials. Seasonal products, new product, promotional items, closeout items. Cost: per minute, varies with station
- Set up website to advertise your business with email. (Necessary in today’s markets). All of the above can be listed on your site. Cost: No cost to Several Thousand Dollars.
- Add balloons to signage or mail box to attract attention. Cost: $10-$15
- Place some of your product line outside the store on a regular basis. Cost: no cost, a little time.
- Offer free seminars, classes and workshops on your products, processes to customer, invite guest speakers. Cost: no cost
- Guest speaker describing their product line or production methods in an after-hours invited event. Cost: Minimal food and drink.
- Planters with bright flowers at the store entrance. Keep fresh and watered, change to evergreens in the winter. Cost: $100-$200
- Repaint your entrance with fresh inviting colors. Cost: gallon of paint and several hours.
- Join your local Chamber of Commerce and / or merchant association to benefit from group advertising programs for your community. Cost: $150-$200+
- Train staff to promote sale items, specials, and offer incentives to sales staff. Teach staff the proper way to greet customers, offer to special order item. Cost: no cost, time to train.
- Small newspaper ad repeated each publication in same place in the classified section. Cost: $25-$50 per week.
- Consult with a store designer to change the store image both inside and outside. Cost: $200-thousands.
- Visit successful out of town locations and photograph appealing store décor and landscaping to gain ideas for your location. Cost: travel expenses.
- Research products that sell and stock. Cost: inventory costs. $100’s to $1,000’s
- Have the Small Business Development Center write a business plan. Call Crossroads at 236-0391. Cost: No Cost!
- Give your customers a reason to return! Smile! Cost: no cost, All Profit!
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