10 free and low cost ways to market your business

10 free and low cost ways to market your business

Thanks to life coach and successful mum in business Grace Marshall for this fab guest post

low cost ways to market your business

The face of motherhood is changing. I think there was a time when the labels were either ‘working mum’ or ‘stay at home mum’. Now there are those who work full time, part time, ‘work at home mums’, employed, self-employed, flexi-time, job share, freelance, contractors and entrepreneurs.

And so is the face of business. Traditionally a business owner might be expected to be suited and booted, working from an office or a shop premises, employing staff, seeing clients 9-5 and working behind the scenes 5-9.

Let’s face it, none of us really want to add to the demands of parenthood by remortgaging the house to fund a business venture. Or spending every waking hour away from the family. And being at the beck and call of other people. We get enough of that from our kids thank you.

But today’s technology and social trends are pushing back the boundaries and offering much more choice, and making it increasingly attractive for women to combine motherhood with entrepreneurialism.

Of course it’s not easy. But mums are used to hard work and actually pretty brilliant at being responsive and resourceful.

Today you can

  • run a business from home without the overheads of a shop or office
  • cherry pick who you work with and serve customers worldwide without having to travel or relocate
  • define your own working hours, whether it’s in the evening when the kids are in bed and your brain becomes entirely your own again, when you’ve been woken up at 5am or simply to fit in between the school run.
  • take time off and still get paid on holidays, sick days, sports days and spontaneous picnic days
  • market your services without a huge advertising budget

On that last note, here are 10 tips for marketing your business on a shoestring budget:

  1. Define your niche and target market – rather than diluting your message and budget by being all things to all people
  2. Write articles and submit them to article directories like EzineArticles.com
  3. Join or create an online forum relevant to your niche/target market and share your knowledge
  4. Promote your company, product, giveaway or special offer on your email signature
  5. Share your knowledge and build your credibility through blogs, interviews, podcasts or videos.
  6. Make it easy for people to share their email address with you to keep in touch and give an added incentive with a free report, set of tips, e-course or e-book.
  7. Interview an expert or be interviewed yourself and share your expertise
  8. Run a competition
  9. Conduct a survey
  10. Talk to people who serve the same people you do with services that complement yours. See how you can help each other, with swapping links, joint promotions and affiliate partnerships for example.

And a bonus tip

  1. You know all those business cards you’ve got lurking somewhere from other small business owners that you’ve met. Ring three of them and ask for more information about what they do so you can more easily refer business to them.  Ask if you can tell them more about your business.

If you’re a mum who wants to create a business that works for you without being swamped in the process, I’d love to see you on my upcoming teleseminar, where I’ll be sharing real life insights and practical tips, including How to take holidays, sick days, snow days and spontaneous picnic days whenever you need and want to. And why having children can accelerate rather than hinder your business. For more details of this free event visit FromBurnoutToBrilliant.com.

Grace Marshall is mum to two young children, and a life and business coach who loves to help other mums create their own definition of motherhood and business. Join her at FromBurnoutToBrilliant.com.

Thanks to grace for this great article on low cost ways to market your business

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6 Comments

  1. Martha
    September 2, 2010 / 6:26 pm

    i too am a mum juggling two kids and a fairly new business selling body shapers, girdles and corsets and i’ve got to say to all the mums out there lets persevere and succeed in our businesses as well as our family lives. it is so inspirational to see loads of women out there doing it for themselves xx

  2. Becky
    Author
    September 2, 2010 / 8:15 pm

    Absolutely and really good luck to you Martha!

  3. September 3, 2010 / 7:46 pm

    Great post with interesting tips – as a business owner (and an almost full time mum to 2 under 6) would agree with your marketing advice – doesn’t always have to cost the earth. Amazing what you can achieve if you are nice to people, network and use common sense

  4. Becky
    Author
    September 3, 2010 / 8:32 pm

    Am so with you on the being nice to people bit …can mak the world of difference and grace is just lovely!

  5. Marcia at Businesses Directory UK
    September 6, 2010 / 3:38 pm

    if you truly want to be successful at running your own business, expect to have less time off for holidays than you would have if you were working for someone else.

  6. Becky
    Author
    September 6, 2010 / 3:39 pm

    Yes and less sleeep !

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