Now's the time to promote your business!

The economy really sucks. Big time. You need to save money and advertising your business seems like a good place to cut back.

Wrong. Just the opposite is true. Now is the time to do whatever you can to promote your business. You certainly don’t want people to forget about you. If you are advertising in a newspaper or magazine on a regular basis and suddenly disappear, people may think you’ve gone out of business.

I’ve been advertising my Creative Juices business in the Easy Reader for over 15 years. In my experience, people remember these little ads. They may not remember whether it was in the Easy Reader or the Beach Reporter, but they remember. Some have even clipped the ad and saved it for years until they finally needed my services.

So advertising does pay.

Other ways of getting new business are:

• Updating (or creating) your website.
• Add a link to your website for a newsletter.
• Create a regular newsletter, kind of an eBlast (include useful info and perhaps a special offer).
• Write a blog about your business.
• Join a networking group (either in person or online).
• Write an article about your business and submit it to a local paper.
• Hire someone to do all of the above.

The bottom line is that you must always be visible to your potential customers. By not promoting your business you cease to exist.