This series of articles are written specifically for work at home moms. In this article, we will discuss how marketing is one of the most important aspects when starting and running a successful business. If you have ever been in the market for real estate, you would have undoubtedly heard these three words, Location Location Location. Why are these three words so important in the real estate business? The reason is simple; location is everything when talking about property intended for sale. If you are talking about residential properties then one must think about the safety of the general area, the income level of the surrounding neighborhoods, the proximity to schools and shops. These factors all play a role in the pricing of a piece of property. When real estate agents sell properties, they use the location of the property to market or to promote the property. Therefore, in real estate, location is of the utmost importance, but what about in business, what three words can be used to ensure that work at home businesses are and remain successful. The answer may not be surprising; the three words that are of utmost importance just as in the real estate business are Marketing Marketing - Marketing. When a small business owner knows and begins to understand the importance of marketing, they will be well on their way to being and remaining successful. The question should be asked, is marketing all about fancy and expensive advertising like you see in magazines, television, the movies or on the sides of buses. That is true it is, but not for it is not always the case and not for everyone. Marketing ultimately is about promotion. Promotion is about letting others know that you exist. How you let them know who and where you are can be accomplished through expensive advertising or through creative means. There are thousands of ways to promote your product, service or idea. Let us look at one of these. As an example, let us say that you bake cookies and sell them online as a home-based business. You have already sold cookies to all your friends and neighbors and have run out of customers. You need to promote your cookies in order to gain more customers so that you can grow your sales. What do you do? You could take out an advertising piece in a magazine, or a newspaper, but that costs a lot. Here is a low cost way to promote your product. Each day you make ten small bags with three cookies in each bag. You place your name, website address and phone number on each of the bags and you take them to a hair salon, a real estate agent, an insurance broker, the doctors office. You give these ten bags to the front desk receptionist and ask them to hand them out to any customers who come in for the day. The total costs of these cookies will be minimal compared to the cost of advertising and if your cookies are any good you will gain at least one customer from every ten bags you make. I hope that you have enjoyed this article, and that it will help you make your business more successful. If you want, please send me an email and let me know what you think of this article and as always good luck. |
