|
|
Question: I've started my secretarial services business and have a separate business line in my home. I've arranged for Yellow Pages advertising, but this won't "hit" for another eight months. What can I do to start to get business? Help!
Answer: This is a very common scenario. When I began my business, I had to wait over 12 months for the first book of Yellow Pages advertising featuring my business to be published. There are many ways to get the word out. First, be sure to befriend your local town or city clerk and public librarian: these two individuals see more newcomers to your community than probably anyone and are in a great position to provide direct leads and business cards. Your town clerk, especially, will be registering new businesses through the town hall. Make sure this influential person is well-acquainted with the services you provide to other businesses (many secretarial services specialize in working with start-up and sole proprietor businesses); be sure to supply him or her with your business cards and, once you begin to publish your "company" newsletter, a copy of each issue. Be certain to send press releases of your start-up to all newspapers covering your area. Your best likelihood for an expanded story and photograph will be in a local weekly newspaper (as opposed to a huge metropolitan daily). It's helpful to have a good black-and-white headshot taken with many copies available to include with every press release. That way, if the editor can't afford the time to send a photographer to your office, your photo is ready to go. As you read in the business news of other new businesses starting up, write a dynamic, one-page marketing letter for your business, create a one-page business resume for your service, and send both with your business card by way of introduction. Then arrange to follow up at least monthly with a different postcard message; consider creative ways to blitz your prospects, possibly tying to the seasons or holidays. Use clever graphics on the postcards to capture attention; use distinctive colors. Make every card different and eye-catching (person buried under piles of paper on a desk: "Need helping digging out from under? Let our resources be the solution to your problem!"). Most marketing experts say a minimum of 6-8 marketing contacts are necessary before a decision is made. Hopefully, not *every* sale will take this much, but in the beginning, it's sage advice to follow. Develop a tickler system so that with each new prospect you identify, you have the letter and cards in the order to send. Consider special offers to incite interest in the beginning. For every client you DO successfully secure, be sure to provide that person with at least a half dozen business cards at the conclusion of the project... as well as a thank you note expressing appreciation for the opportunity to do business together and directly asking for referrals: "We thank you for the opportunity to work with you... and sincerely appreciate your referring our services to your colleagues. We've enclosed business cards to make it easy to tell others." These are just some of the steps you can take to jump-start your marketing efforts before your Yellow Pages advertising begins. We'll discuss many more marketing tips and recommendations in the months ahead.
|
A full-time, work-at-home business owner and mom to three young sons, Jan Melnik has operated Absolute Advantage since 1983. Her company provides professional office support, secretarial, and business support services as well as resume/career management services to individual clients. She is the author of "How to Start a Home-based Secretarial Services Business" and "How to Start a Home-based Resume Service" and has contributed to numerous professional journals and magazines.
|
| She is a regular guest on a nationally syndicated radio program, Money Watch, offering advice to prospective entrepreneurs and people who wish to work from home. She coaches clients in business start-up and frequently guest "speaks" on AOL business start-up forums. Her website offers details about her practice and her publications: www.janmelnik.com.
 work at home
get paid to shop
write articles for traffic
free content
|
|
