BellaOnline Forums Career Small Office/Home Office Marketing Questions??

If you have questions about marketing your small or home-based business, post them here. Need promotional ideas, have questions about advertising, or just want some ideas on how to get more business--whatever your current problem is, here's the place to get some help.

We want to start a locksmith business. Ok, well, we don't really have a choice because our kids have to eat and relying on a company for a paycheck has not worked out well. We did this in a different county but got burned out and sold it off.

I've designed a business card, which we just picked up from the printer. They weren't exactly what I wanted but for the money, they are awesome! We're in a community that is fairly small, but growing rapidly. Folks here would rather have a local company than call one from the next county, that's for sure. Our biggest problem is that the yellow pages don't come out until April, and we're getting ready to hit the busy season so we need to get the word out.

The hubby's been laid off for over a month so we're short on cash. Whatever we do has to be cheap, cheap, cheap. Ideas?

Congratulations & good luck on your new business venture! I have lots of ideas, but I'll try not to write a book!

1--Create some flyers to accompany your business cards. Even plain white paper flyers you print on your home printer will work. Use your company logo or graphic, and do something simple--for example: Locked Out? (picture of someone by a car), Don't Stress Out! Just call Lewis Locksmith Company, and list some benefits (24-hour service, 15 minute response, 7 years experience, locally-owned company, etc. --whatever your "selling points" are). Large phone number. Just make sure you "tell" them to call and make the company name & phone number big.

2--Take the cards & flyers & hit the streets. Top of my head contacts: Chamber of Commerce, hotels (guests are always locking their keys in their car), large area employers, insurance agents, car dealers, any attractions, shopping centers, etc., universities & schools, police & fire departments, supermarkets (many have bulletin boards you can post flyers & cards on--ditto for the public library and churches), any places you do business with --coffee shops, dry cleaners, gyms, doctor's offices.

If they will let you leave or post flyers do so and if not, ask them if they'll keep some cards - preferably on display. (You can also buy those plastic business card holders for about $1 at office supply places & take your own--many will let you leave them).

And, other locksmith's--ask them to refer to you when they can't handle a call. A mutual arrangement like this can be very beneficial for both.

*Get business cards or contact info for places where you leave them. You'll want to follow up with step # 3:

3--Write a short article on "lock-related" tips for your local papers, magazines & radio stations. Write several! Things like "How to choose a good deadbolt lock", "How to remember to take your keys", "Window locks - do's & don'ts", "Ten tips to Protect your Home", "Safety tips for Latchkey kids", -- anything will work. Offer reprints to your contacts from above for their newsletters or to share with their customers as well as media sources for publication. At the bottom of the article, put "brought to you by. . . and your company contact info."

4--If you attend any "networking" events, belong to any clubs or associations, ask them to write up your opening in their newsletters. Offer them the content from step 3, too.

5--When you can't "hit the streets", use the phone. Call & offer to mail or drop by with flyers & cards. You can do an email flyer, too. (I just copy flyers right into the document and attach if they want to download, but with the info in the email body, they don't have to).

6--Yahoo Local (Google & MSN have Local now, too) --you can add your business for free anytime.

7--Partnerships. Pick some local "related" businesses to partner with and offer to "swap" coupons with them. A hardware store that makes keys and sells locks could include your "coupon" with every purchase & you could do the same for them. If I lose my house keys, I want back in, but I'll also probably want to re-key my locks or buy new ones. So, it's a great referral for the hardware store then. Others would work, too-- real estate agents could give your coupon to their new home buyers, car dealers to their new car owners, and so on.

7--If you don't mind public speaking, this is a good time of year for safety-related topics. A short presentation on safe shopping habits (lock car doors, keep stuff in the trunk, park safely, etc.) would be good for chamber & other meetings, any women's groups and even school groups. Call them up & offer. Give out a handout with a recap of the tips & again, "brought to you by. . ." You can even probably get stores to distribute this handout to their customers--one in every bag!
(If you don't want to talk to groups, make the handout anyway & use it as in # 3)

See, I'm going on & on. Oh, well.

When you do get some money, cheap logo'd keychains would be a good promo!

Hope this helps!

Those are great ideas! The flyer is sitting on my sick computer, but I've got rough draft print that will work.

I really like the article idea!! I hadn't thought of that. I can think of a couple of different publications that might run something like that. We're a small county, in fact our newspaper is a weekly publication. We've got one hotel, and a beauty school is the closest thing we've got to a university, but it's growing. Right now we live in the country, but at the rate of growth we've been seeing in the last 2 years, we won't be "out in the country" for much longer. We didn't think this county was big enough to sustain a locksmith business a few years ago, but it can now.

There's one other local company, but they rarely answer the phone. When they do answer you have to schedule an appt two days in advance. When someone is locked out of their car, they don't want an appt two days later. Their attitude may change when they realize we're here, but that's ok.

What's your opinion about the Chamber of Commerce and BBB? I think because it's such a small place (the good ol' boy network!) that joining the CoC is a good idea. The BBB doesn't carry much weight around here, so that's not as good an option.

Another thing I want to do is put some ads in the sports programs for our high school. We've got two high schools here in our county. Our son plays baseball and is in band. Our middle school daughter has been asked by the coach to come and play on the high school softball team. Every year the baseball and softball teams try to sell signs to hang on the fence, put together sports programs, and a few other things. The signs we probably won't be able to do this year, but the sports program is really inexpensive. I thought at the other high school maybe we could do a couple of similar things for different programs. That way we don't openly offend anyone, we support important programs for the kids, and we advertise. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In a small community, I think the Chamber of Commerce is even more valuable than in a big city. I think the BBB works better for businesses with lots of complaint/rip-off issues.

High school programs are great for three reasons--you do get the exposure, they are great for sponsorship/giving-back type actions, and you are not only getting new customers, but making relationships with people who wlll be decision makers in local businesses in the future. And, for you, this would be good for articles/handouts/speaking. Safety issues are paramount, and kids are always locking their keys in their cars. They need to know that breaking a window is not the best option!

Quick response, especially if you can promote it with a "guarantee" should pull much business from your competition.

I gotta run!

Hey, Cheryl, I wanted to tell you I was thinking about locksmiths today, and I most often used them in the hotel business when I needed safe lock combinations changed (and once we had to have a lock drilled out because nobody knew the combination), so I was thinking that cash-based businesses might be a great target--hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, any retail--anyone who drops money into a safe.

And, for those people, magnetized business cards that they can stick right on to the safe would be great. (You can do these yourself with the kits they sell at office stores-- about $10 for 50, I think. You just peel off the backing & apply your card.)

I run a (very) small herbal and aromatherapy products business. I also happen to live in a very small, fairly rural town. I have gone all over the place trying to find places to put brochures and business cards, but they just aren't bringing in much business... okay, *any* business. This just isn't the right area, I think. So, I need some ideas for internet advertising that actually works, or perhaps some other kind of acvertising that can be done 'from a distance'.

(And don't worry if you start to write a novel... I want to hear any ideas you have! lol)

Hi, Jennie,

Before you spend too much on internet advertising, I suggest you get your own website. The benefits of this are having a short domain name that you can direct traffic to, so people can find you just by searching for your company name, and you'll be able to present your products and your "story" much more effectively.

As your products are very "personal", I think there are many things you can do offline to build a clientele, though. But, traditional advertising doesn't work very well for "personal" items. Think about it--what would persuade you to buy these products? For most of us, it's things like a friend's recommendation, a free sample, a store display--touchy, feely marketing sells touchy, feely products better.

Here are some ideas:

Think about who could be a good target for your products - even in your area, you'll find spas, massage therapists, maybe a "mom & pop" drugstore, a boutique, beauty shops & gift shops. Take them some free samples, your brochure and some product they can sell in their stores. You can even help them sell it by providing some related "tip sheets" that you can print yourself--FOr instance, for your cold relief oil, a tip sheet on "feel better" measures (chicken soup, vitamin c, your cold oil).

I'd suggest "jazzing" up your product descriptions, too--talk about how they smell, how they feel, healing properties of the herbs, etc.

If you have happy customers already, get testimonials from them. Put these on your website, and on your "brochures".

You could also "package" several different products together in baskets to offer as "giveaways" for drawings for charity events, to sell as healing herbal gift baskets, and to promote to a gift basket company to add to their offerings.

Another option is to write for your area papers/magazines, like I suggested for Cheryl. Having a regular "column" with your "bio" directing people to your company would be more effective than any advertising you could buy from them.

I hope this helps!

'Spending' anything on advertising isn't really an option right now, anyway. I started this up because I can't have a 'traditional' job, really, because of health issues, so money is to say the least extremely tight. Much along the same lines, until I get some sort of client base and regular orders, getting my own website isn't really an option... especially since I'd probably have to hire someone to set it up for me (I know very little about HTML).

Unfortunately, the major businesses in my area are bars and restaurants... the bane of living in a college town. There are a couple of 'day spa' kind of places, but I went to all of them, and only one was even really willing to talk to me, and all they were interested in doing was putting out some flyers for me. Part of the problem there is probably the fact that I'm too easy-going; when they say 'not right now' I go 'okay' and walk out. I didn't think about taking in free samples, though... that might be a better idea than asking about placing selling items there.

Most of my 'happy customers' so far are my friends, who are a notoriously un-talkative group in that regard. Getting testimonials is a good idea though, and one I will pursue as I get more customers. (I will maintain a positive outlook and believe I will get them eventually. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

I'd thought about the gift basket idea before, I just haven't gotten around to it yet... I've been rather discouraged lately at the lack of business. Which I know is a self-destructive cycle... I get down about lack of business, so I slack on advertising, so I have even less business. I try not to let that happen, but when I get excited about five hits to my page a day, it's hard not to be discouraged.

Up until now, I've had little to no confidence in my article writing ability... but apparently someone thought I was good enough to get a position as editor here, so perhaps once I get some good feedback, I will get the confidence to try and contact the local papers to do freelance articles. Besides, the articles I write for on here would for the most part fit right in with what I would write to promote my business.


And yes, it did all help, thank you! Ideas are always helpful, even if I had them before or they aren't feasible right now.

Jennie, I was in hotel sales for many years, and I trained several new sales people who would go on one call, get a "we have no need" or "we're happy at Marriott" or whatever, and get discouraged and depressed and think they were just no good at it.

I made them keep going back until they got thrown off the premises! LOL--not really, but I used to tell them if someone buys after one call, it's a beautiful fluke. Most sales are made after more than 12 visits! (With advertising--it's worse--more like 50 exposures!)

You have to build relationships and I know nobody wants to seem pushy, but there are many great ideas and businesses dying because nobody knows about them.

Here's an idea--post a "help wanted" ad in the college newspaper or website & hire a commissioned sales rep. Pay them commission on what they sell. Give them some products to use as samples & make up some order forms for them. One bubbly, enthusiastic, hungry girl might just make you a ton of money! LOL! You have a whole college rull of potential customers!

That's a great idea... I just don't know if I can, legally. I'm registered as a sole proprietorship, which means no employees. Would that be considered 'independant contractor', and would that be legal as a SP(if you know)?

And that is exactly my problem, you hit the nail on the head. I *don't* want to be pushy. I don't want people rolling their eyes or cringing when they see me coming. And I am no good at recognizing the lines there, and when they are being crossed.

I am fortunate in one regard... because I have had no funding for advertising or website related things or retail space, I don't have anything I have to pay for besides supplies, and I can make things per-order at this point... so I basically have no overhead. Which means 'I ain't goin' nowhere'. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I can stick around till the cows come home.

Sole proprietorship means one owner, and you can have employees, but yes, a commissioned rep would be an independent contractor--essentially they are their own business and you're selling to them. You'd do a 1099 for reporting their earnings to the IRS. This is easier than hiring them as an employee & paying employment taxes and unemployment. But, this is not my area of expertise, so I suggest more research, and maybe looking into the LLC thing (it's not very expensive and offers personal financial protections you don't get from sole proprietorship).

Forget the pushy part--you are offering new products to help people--either personally with the product or for a small business by helping them create happy customers & make more money. If you think in your customer's viewpoint, and of being of value to them, you're not pushy, you're helpful. For instance, if you can help a spa owner increase their product revenue, how is that pushy? If you can help them create loyal customers, and help them help those customers, that's not pushy. Ditto for individuals--if you have a product that will fix a problem for them, it's a shame to keep it a secret! So, you're not selling lotions & potions, really, you are selling comfort, relief, healing.

Hello Deb,

Thank you so much for all the great tips I have already picked up by reading this thread. I have a small shop on half.com, but it is growing everyday. Currently I have over 500+ books, and some movies and music as well.

Thanks to your advice in another thread I have already ordered business cards. Do you think I should put the cards in with my orders, or would that be repetitive since my url is already on the invoice?

Do you have any other suggestions as to how I can make myself stand out a little more amongst so many sellers on a site like that?

Thank You!
~Carol Anne

Thanks for posting here Carol Anne! Definitely put your cards in with your orders. Most people have someplace to keep cards handy--even if it's just all in a stack--but most people file or toss invoices.

You could perhaps offer a newsletter that you could email to notify them of new products.

And, I don't know much about half.com, but perhaps you could "package" some of your offerings. For example, a few books by the same author or the same genre, or a book & a movie or something like that. I know you can package on ebay, but I'm not sure about half.

And, you can maybe find synopses of the books/movies on Amazon or on the book covers or somewhere to put in the full description, so if someone is just "browsing", they will find more info to determine whether the book, movie or CD is something they would like.

Good Luck with your business! Sounds like you & mom will having some pretty great trips!

Enjoy!
Deborah

P.S. If you haven't already, you might want to sign up for the SOHO newsletter, and browse around the SOHO site for other ideas. Here's a link:

http://www.bellaonline.com/site/soho

The latest article is on ebay trading assistants--you might find it interesting.

I've had homebased bath and body business for almost two years. I'm gonna be honest. this is the hardest thing I've had to do in my life.
you'd think your neighbors and church friends will support you because they know you. this isn't always the case.
we depend on these people to get our business up and running. and to keep it that way.
I've been out of a small fortunate since I started my business. and if you're a small company. I wouldn't fall for any kind of advertising. you're gonna be in the negative for quite a while!
my advice to all small business starting is... just use your head. keep advertising as simple as possible. and if you're online. just do free online submissions for your website to promote it to search engines.

Norma, thanks for visiting & posting here in the forum. One of my missions is to help people learn how to market effectively and efficiently, and a key component for small businesses is learning from others. I'm sorry you had negative experiences with advertising. There are a lot of ineffective venues out there and it's a common mistake small business owners make. I'm sure others will benefit from your advice.

Check out the SOHO site here at BellaOnline for articles that might help you in your business. Here's the link: http://www.bellaonline.com/site/soho and, there's a free newsletter you can sign up for that will keep you posted on updates.

Good luck with your bath & body business--it's still a great business--we're all still stressed out!

Hi Deb,
I just wanted to thank you for all the great information you're providing. I think many of us women are very shy about getting our business names out there by direct contact with other business owners (asking them to post our flyers or leave the little plastic thingys with our business cards), so your advice about writing a "tips" column for newspapers is really a great idea. It wouldn't even require any face time with the editor--just an introduction letter with a sample column enclosed, and maybe a follow-up phone call. Safety tips as you suggested for the locksmith biz and cold-and-flu-season tips for the aromatherapy biz could really go a long way toward building credibility (and new business) for each! Really super advice, thanks again.