7) Promote your business on a talk show.
Your local radio station or cable TV station may have programs that are looking for guests - a great low-cost way to promote your business! Business-related programs are ideal. Find out who the host is, and approach him or her as willing to share your expertise on a particular topic.
Call in programs are popular; you may be able to appear as a guest expert. If you're a mechanic, you might offer to take call-in questions on car maintenance; if you operate a health store, you might market yourself as an expert in herbal remedies. Have your proposal clearly worked out before you contact the program host, and make sure the parameters of your appearance, such as details about plugs, are clear beforehand.
8) Promote your business by giving a seminar or presentation.
You have expertise that other people are interested in! (You couldn't be in business if you didn't.) Why not share that expertise and promote your business at the same time?
For example, a local carpet company advertises a free seminar on installation techniques for a type of laminate flooring. Participants not only learn how to install this type of flooring themselves, but are offered special discount prices if they wish to purchase laminate flooring. Another local retailer who sells goods made of stained glass offers courses on working with stained glass on-site.
If there's no direct tie-in to your product or service, you can still give a presentation on a related topic. Nursery people or horticulturalists, for instance, often give demonstrations on topics such as tree-pruning, or slide shows of famous gardens they've visited. Although most of my business involves providing specific writing or training services to businesses, I give presentations on general topics such as "Promoting Your Business On A Shoestring".
If it's not feasible to present the seminar at your site, because you're a home-based business or just don't have the facilities you would need, arrange to give the seminar elsewhere. Many government-sponsored organizations, such as Business Service Centres and Economic Development Centres, and non-profit programs are always looking for experienced business people who are willing to give presentations. You may also be able to arrange to present your topic through the Continuing Education branch of your local college or university.
Scared? Start small and start building a name by making a presentation to one of your local groups such as your Home-Based Business Association or Business Women's network. If public speaking terrifies you, I can't recommend Toastmasters highly enough; this organization has helped a great many people get over this fear and be able to address groups of people. The link I've given here will lead you to Toastmasters' groups throughout Canada.
That's eight low-cost ways you can promote your business so far. But there are two more business promotion opportunities that you may not have considered yet; using your car and your non-business related activities. Continue on to the next page to read about how you can use these as business promotion...
