| I would recommend you have a good foundation | | | | businesses and more to the residential area. |
| of marketing knowledge before you begin your | | | | Today I don't market to the business sector |
| business. Reading a copy of Guerilla | | | | at all, though I still work for my business |
| Marketing for the 90's will give you the | | | | customers that I originally had.After |
| proper foundation you need to plan your | | | | narrowing my focus to only concentrate on the |
| marketing strategy effectively. You don't | | | | residential sector I began experimenting with |
| need the newest edition. Buy it if you want, | | | | various marketing methods to effectively |
| but you will pay several times the price. | | | | reach this sector. My initial objective was |
| Good entrepreneurs get the most for their | | | | simple. I needed to inform as many residents |
| money and the important concepts talked about | | | | as I could that I was here. A friend told me |
| in the book have not changed much since the | | | | about a local newspaper that runs once a week |
| 90's.In this article I will talk about what | | | | and is specific to his community of Dunwoody, |
| my marketing strategy was when I was starting | | | | Georgia. I picked up a copy of the paper and |
| out, how it changed over the year, what | | | | skimmed through it. The first thing I noticed |
| worked for me and what did not and the | | | | was that the classifieds section was clear |
| marketing lessons I learned from my | | | | and easy to read. The headings and sub |
| experiences. | | | | headings were clearly defined. I could easily |
| | | | open up the classifieds section and quickly |
| My very first form of marketing was flyering | | | | locate the category I was looking for. I |
| mailboxes around my neighborhood in early | | | | looked at the computer section and saw that |
| 2003, back when I was doing computer support | | | | there was about 3 or four people advertising |
| only part time. At the time I had never | | | | there already. I sent an email to one of the |
| picked up a marketing book and I knew | | | | businesses advertising in the computer |
| absolutely nothing about the subject. I only | | | | section asking them how they liked their |
| knew that people needed to know what I was | | | | results - I did not mention what business I |
| offering. This method was mostly effective in | | | | was in. I got a response back from the person |
| my own condo complex because on each flyer I | | | | saying they got more new customers from that |
| wrote " **the name of my complex** resident | | | | paper than from any other. He also asked me |
| offering computer support for **name of my | | | | what business I was in so I told him. I also |
| complex**. In this way I think the flyer did | | | | told him I was grateful for the info he had |
| not seem like such an intrusion, as each | | | | given me and that I would be happy to share |
| resident was getting the flyer from one of | | | | with him what was working and not working in |
| their own neighbors, not just some everyday | | | | my own marketing efforts but I never heard |
| solicitor. I flyered other complexes but | | | | back from the guy. Probably he was miffed |
| never matched the success I got in my | | | | that he had helped out a competitor. I don't |
| own.Soon after flyering some calls started | | | | really understand this kind of attitude. I |
| coming in. I would go do a job for one | | | | think that - to a certain degree - if |
| household which would often lead to referrals | | | | businesses help each other out everyone wins |
| and those referrals to referrals. In one case | | | | out in the end. But that's a subject for |
| I got a total of about 6 new customers from | | | | another post.I paid about $60 per month to |
| just one referral. Eventually I grew tired of | | | | have a 5 or 6 line ad in this paper. I made |
| flyering and stopped it altogether. I always | | | | sure the text in my ad was different from the |
| felt very shady while I was doing it. Later I | | | | others. The ads already running were all |
| found out I was right to feel uncomfortable | | | | offering a very braod range of services; |
| as a search on the Internet informed me it is | | | | business support as well as home support. I |
| illegal to put anything in a mailbox that | | | | wrote my ad so that it was more specific - my |
| does not have postage.During the two years | | | | ad stressed home technology support , not |
| that I was doing computer work part time I | | | | home and business. I also made sure my |
| got all my business from flyering and word of | | | | website URL was in the ad.During the first |
| mouth. It was not a lot of business because | | | | few months that the ad I ran I was very |
| computer support was just a side gig and I | | | | pleased with the results. My phone was |
| didn't have the time devote a lot of | | | | ringing and I was getting some good business. |
| resources to getting more business.When I | | | | One thing I noticed during this time was that |
| went completely on my own in January of 2005 | | | | my ad appeared first among the 3 or 4 ads in |
| I was still not very knowledgeable in | | | | the computer section. Also the first line in |
| marketing and did not have any kind of formal | | | | my ad, my business name High Tech Homes, was |
| plan or strategy, nor did I know what my | | | | in bold lettering. After a few months the |
| target market was. Starting off I figured | | | | response started leveling off and then |
| every sector and category was a potential | | | | diminished altogether. When the responses |
| customer. It didn't matter if it was a | | | | stopped coming I picked up a copy of the |
| fortune 500 company, a 4 family house, a 15 | | | | paper to see what might be wrong. It quickly |
| employee office or a car dealership. As for | | | | became clear. I was no longer the first |
| services, I thought I would simply offer | | | | computer business in the section. Also for |
| anything and everything - from installation | | | | some reason the name of my business was no |
| of DSL Internet in an apartment to setting up | | | | longer in bold lettering. Without the bold |
| an entire IT infrastructure for a 20 person | | | | face my ad was more difficult to pick out. By |
| office and everything in between. If someone | | | | this time however I was getting enough |
| asked for it and I didn't know how to do it, | | | | residual business that I did not need to |
| I would simply learn how to do it or gather a | | | | advertise in that paper any more. |
| team to get it done. I attended seminars on | | | | |
| how to win government contracts and made | | | | Anytime I met with a customer I would try to |
| appointments to meet with certain government | | | | gain an insight into their consumer behavior |
| officials that might help me make the right | | | | by asking my them why they chose my ad and |
| government contacts, not realizing I did not | | | | not the others. If my ad was not the first on |
| have the resources to take 3 and 4 days to | | | | the list the response I usually got was that |
| write detailed 10-20 page proposals nor the | | | | they simply called the first add on the list |
| proper business history to win these | | | | and got no answer, at which point they moved |
| contracts. From a marketing standpoint I was | | | | onto the second ad which was mine. From this |
| clearly a ship without a sail.My first method | | | | I learned two things. It helps to be the |
| of marketing was to simply tell everyone I | | | | first ad in your category, and the importance |
| knew what I was doing. I utilized my parents | | | | of never missing a business phone call.I've |
| by getting good leads from them or having | | | | learned some important marketing lessons in |
| them call their friends who were business | | | | the time I've been in business.* Try to focus |
| owners to tell them about me. This worked out | | | | on a niche marketOnce I abandoned the |
| well, landing me my first quality business | | | | business sector things got much easier for |
| client; a small office of about 6 employees. | | | | me. I was able to focus my marketing efforts |
| This client was a good source of revenue for | | | | more effectively.* When advertising in |
| me in the early days.Next I took a stab at | | | | classified sections, I've found the most |
| what I would soon find out is the toughest | | | | success with papers that have clear and |
| form of marketing out there - cold calling. I | | | | concise classifieds.The papers that did the |
| now have respect for anyone able to do this | | | | worst for me were ones where the classifieds |
| for 8 hours a day and be successful at it. I | | | | section was messy and the major headings and |
| simply do not have the patience or the tough | | | | categories were not well defined.* |
| skin for it nor do I take the constant | | | | Differentiate yourself in your advertisingIf |
| rejection well. Most of the businesses I | | | | your ad is going to stand out from all the |
| called did not have a need for me for one | | | | other ads it is going to have to be |
| reason or another - they were a franchise and | | | | different. When forming my strategy for some |
| got their IT support from the franchisor, | | | | phone book advertising I opened up a copy of |
| they got their support from their corporate | | | | the phonebook I had and thumbed over to the |
| parent, they had a support agreement with | | | | computer section. I was surprised to see that |
| Dell and called them for all their needs. | | | | almost all the ads looked the same. All the |
| Maybe I would have found more success with | | | | businesses were offering the exact same thing |
| this method had I stuck with it longer, but I | | | | - upgrades, virus help, system crashes, |
| did not have the patience to put a lot of | | | | networking, high speed internet. Ad after ad, |
| effort into to it. The funny thing is, on my | | | | all with the same services listed in bullet |
| very first cold call I was able to schedule a | | | | point, all blended together with the |
| meeting with a small business located right | | | | occasional picture of the computer monitor |
| across the street from where I lived. We had | | | | with a frowny face or a guy standing over his |
| the meeting and to this day that client is my | | | | computer looking frustrated. I fired up Adobe |
| best business customer. Since I landed a | | | | Photoshop and came up with an ad that is |
| great client on my very first cold call I | | | | completely different, offering a totally |
| started wondering what everyone was | | | | different set of services along with a couple |
| complaining about with cold calling. Turns | | | | of the usual ones just so the viewers know |
| out my next one hundred or so calls landed me | | | | that I can do all the usual stuff as well.* |
| nothing and I quickly gave it up.I had some | | | | Be creative in your advertisingGoing back to |
| business customers but was not having the | | | | my previous example, nothing that I saw in |
| success I wanted to have in this sector. I | | | | the phone book was very creative. The ad I |
| was growing tired of writing a lot of lengthy | | | | made up is very attention grabbing. As I |
| proposals for projects just to be turned | | | | write this the ad will be coming out this |
| down. Looking back one of the problems was | | | | very week. While I can't say for sure exactly |
| that I was only one person. I didn't have the | | | | how well it will do, I have a very good |
| resources to hire a full time staff that | | | | feeling about it.If you are starting out I |
| could back me on projects. Instead I was | | | | hope that what I've written here will help |
| trying to rely on hiring associates on a | | | | you to improve your own marketing strategy. |
| contract basis who were already working full | | | | If you have already been in the game for |
| time. I didn't feel completely confident | | | | awhile you may be able to concur with some of |
| going into meetings to sell large projects or | | | | the things I've said based on your own |
| contracts because I didn't have a full time | | | | experience. If you have anything to add I |
| staff behind me, and that lack of confidence | | | | would like to hear it, either in a comment |
| probably showed through in my presentation.I | | | | posted here or in an email sent to me. Happy |
| began to realize I was having much more | | | | entrepreneuring.Carlos Cabezas writes about |
| success in the residential and work from home | | | | entrepreneurship and solopreneurship on his |
| markets. Since each job was smaller, I didn't | | | | web site, He runs solo computer business |
| have to spend hours or days writing a | | | | called High Tech Homes and an online training |
| proposal for each job. I felt more confident | | | | and tutoring business called |
| because I could easily handle all the work by | | | | MyOnlineTutor.net. |
| myself. I slowly began to market less to | | | | |