No Money Down Marketing

As a business owner, we are looking for ways to promote and market out business without spending too much. As any entrepreneur would tell you, if you are in the start-up phase, it would be best to spend your money on marketing your services and products.

We all know, that posting an ad in TV or radio is expensive. If you are just starting out, that is out of the question. You want to reach more people more effectively - this is the only way you get your money's worth. But how do you do that?

Here are some of the things that we were able to do and we hope that you learn from them, too:

• Serve a profitable niche in the market. This the reason why I tell people time and again, to go into business that will separate them from the pack. Don't get another food stall. Food stalls are dime a dozen and I know so many people who lost money because they invested in a food stall. We were able to be featured in several media outlets already because of the niche that we are serving. You can watch one of the interviews that we have had here.

At the Toyota Caravan last August 2011.

• Highlight your competitive advantage! People always want to join the bandwagon. If they see people earning in a certain business, they will immediately put-up the same business. We have been chosen by Toyota to be the official car cleaning service provider because of the differences that we highlighted and how much better our service is compared to other car cleaning companies.

• Take advantage of group buying sites. These group buying sites can help you in marketing your products and give you a small return for your services without investing in marketing. They may ask for 50% off or bigger so it's better to negotiate with them and be firm. Know how much you are willing to shell out and know how much you are willing to earn. You can see the new service we wanted to promote here. 

• Invite bloggers to try out your service. Bloggers have a loyal following. They are viewed as unbiased and honest in their opinion of products and services. Compared to traditional media outlets, bloggers don't have editors to screen whatever they write. They can tell you the truth about certain products or services. You can see what was written about our company here and here.

Sometimes, it just takes a little creativity and a lot of guts to market and promote your products without putting any money down. My partner and I worked on this together and we were glad that it brought positive results in our venture.

Try the things we did and see how much buzz you will create. Or, if you have better ideas, please share them with our readers.