2.2. You have started a business – so now what?

So, your business is set up and you are about to launch. You might think the hard part is over, but the next challenge has the potential to be tougher still. Letting people know you exist and selling your products to the public or to other businesses is the obvious next step, but go about it the wrong way and you could be pouring your money down the drain. [2]

Most people assume that buying a few adverts in the local press or national press is the way to go, but for most businesses this is not cost effective and will not bring in the volume of sales leads you need to justify the cost. Here are a few tips for getting it right.

PR

Running a public relations campaign is the cheapest way to attract attention for both your business launch and on an ongoing basis. In fact it is practically free!

Depending on the type of business you have your strategy will vary but all PR plans incorporate similar elements.

The launch of your business is a news story in waiting. Put together a press release with a catchy headline, explaining a bit about your business, the types of customer you are hoping for, a couple of quotes, and any newsy elements that you think might make a good angle for the press. This should not read like your corporate brochure – keep it brief and interesting. If your launch involves an event or party, that is even better. Send the press release along with an invitation – the press are more likely to give you a write up if they have experienced your business for themselves.

If you have a new product on the market, send free samples (where feasible) to highly targeted consumer or trade magazines along with your press release. The magazine might feature you in their product review section if they like it.

If you have expert knowledge within your industry, you could put yourself forward to publications and websites as a columnist or as a panellist in the advice sections. This is a great way to give your business credibility and to become known within your sector. You can also offer to write free articles or content for websites on your specialist subject.

Work hard on developing your relationships with journalists in the local press and relevant periodical press (magazines). Splashing out on the occasional lunch might seem excessive but it will pay dividends in the end!

Advertising

Having just said that advertising can be a waste of money, this is not the case if you choose your media carefully. Finding the right formula can involve much trial and error but it is worth it in the long run if you have the budget to spend.

Directories such as the Yellow Pages and Yell.com are always solid for bringing in leads, especially if your target market is the local community. Plus, it is still very much the case that a customer expects to see every single business listed in the Yellow Pages, and consider those who are not to be dodgy or untrustworthy.

There are also a plethora of alternative local guides, both printed and online, that present a good advertising opportunity if your business relies on local trade.

For b2b businesses, trade journals and directories are the most highly targeted and can generate good leads, however they do tend to be expensive.

Direct Mail is a different form of advertising that puts your business right under the nose of the customer. Many people complain about the volume of junk mail coming through their letter box, but it remains true that if you manage to connect the right product message with the right person, then it works very well as a method of advertising. Just think of all those pizza menus that come through your door – great if you fancy one there and then, and useful to keep for another time.

Sales & Promotion

You should have put together a sales plan when you were in the planning stages of setting up your business. It is now time to put it into action. Make the necessary calls and arrange those meetings, ensuring that you are supporting information and materials are up to scratch.

The key to selling effectively is to tell the customer what your business can do to benefit them. Tell them this first, even before you have explained what your business does. If you can grab a potential customer’s attention from the start, then you have got a better chance of holding on to it!

Selling is not just about cold calling, or visiting potential clients. Certain types of business benefit well from active promotion on the streets and at point of sale.

If your product is selling in someone else’s shop, do everything you can to get it to jump off the shelves. If you can offer a price discount or arrange another promotion with your vendor this can be great way to get people noticing your products.

If you own a restaurant or shop, get out in the streets and tell people about it. Hand out flyers, samples, whatever gets the attention of your target audience.

Website

Setting up your own website gives you a whole new avenue for marketing your business. A growing number of people now look for the products and services they are interested in online, using search engines or directories to find them.

Creating it does not have to be expensive. Most businesses can get away with a few well laid out pages to begin with, and then if need be develop it further when your business starts to take off. There are lots of companies that offer software that enables you to create your own website without having to know any coding or to have any technical skills. For what is usually a reasonable monthly fee, they will host your website for you on their servers and can even give you an email account and URL.

Try not to make your website too complicated. It should be simple to navigate and the relevant information easy to find. Even with everyone on broadband these days, it is best not to overload your site with images. Search engines find it easier to categorise your website for their listings if it is mostly text.

Online marketing

It is not enough just to have a website online, you must also help people to find it. It takes a while to get a listing high up enough on a search engine for people to see it, so to begin with there are a few low-cost ways to be seen. See our online marketing guide for a comprehensive ‘how to’ on marketing your business on the internet.