| Whether your target audience is in your
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| | to not just be on the lookout for what
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| neighborhood or across the world, you can
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| | business contacts can do for you, but to
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| use your local resources to get the word
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| | consider what you can do for them. When
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| out about your business. Your local
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| | you meet someone new, ask questions and
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| community is easily accessible and
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| | engage them in conversation. Offer advice
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| provides dozens of opportunities for
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| | or ideas, build a relationship and trust
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| building a buzz about your product or
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| | between you. Once you've established a
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| service. The following are twenty ideas
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| | rapport, offer to meet for coffee or
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| to get you started.1. Offer Your Product
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| | lunch and see if you can brainstorm ways
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| or Service as a Free Give Away - For
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| | to work together.11. Set Up Shop at the
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| example, if you own a restaurant, you
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| | Farmer's Market - If you have a
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| could have your local Holiday Inn give
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| | food-related product or anything of
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| away dinner gift certificates for $10 to
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| | interest to the general public, the local
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| hotel guests during check-in. If you own
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| | farmer's market is a great place to not
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| a car wash, you could have the local car
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| | only generate sales, but to increase
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| dealerships give away a certificate for a
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| | exposure to your business. Visit for a
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| free wash with all car purchases. Think
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| | directory of these events.12. Swap
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| about businesses that are complimentary
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| | Coupons with a Complimentary Business -
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| to yours and offer a promotion that is
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| | Offer to give away their coupons with
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| easy for them to implement and that will
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| | each purchase while they give away your
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| benefit their customers.2. Donate to
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| | coupons with each purchase. Each provides
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| Local Charities & Schools - Offer your
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| | the other with coupons and runs the
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| products, services, or gift certificates
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| | promotion simultaneously. Make sure you
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| for charity auctions and events. This
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| | print a special run of coupons or give
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| will get you exposure to everyone who
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| | them some unique identifier (printed on a
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| attends the event and build loyalty with
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| | special color of paper, for example) so
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| members of the organization you are
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| | you can easily track the success of the
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| supporting- not to mention a tax
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| | promotion.13. Give Away Free Tips - Tips
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| write-off!3. Leave Brochures, Fliers, and
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| | sheets or booklets can be a fantastic
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| Business Cards Everywhere - Many local
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| | marketing tool. Put together a list of
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| businesses will allow you to display your
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| | tips, similar to the tips you're reading
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| cards and brochures. Potential venues
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| | now. Your tips could be as few as ten or
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| include:* Car washes* Bookstores*
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| | as many as 100. For example, a financial
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| Coffee shops* Apartment buildings (near
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| | advisor could put together a tips sheet
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| mailboxes or in laundry rooms)*
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| | called "Twenty Ways to Save on Tax
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| Churches* Student centers* Community
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| | Planning." A beauty salon could offer
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| centers* Retirement centers* Fitness
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| | "Ten Tips for Ageless Skin." A child care
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| centers* Subways and bus depots*
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| | center could give away "Twenty-five Tips
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| Fraternities and Sororities* Libraries4.
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| | for Child Safety."Print your tips sheets
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| Canvas Nearby Neighborhoods - Instead of
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| | or booklets and give them away as a bonus
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| just leaving a flier, you could leave an
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| | with purchase or use them with your
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| inexpensive item or tips booklet. One
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| | advertising. If you offer something of
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| local Realtor stuck an American flag on
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| | real value, people will be more likely to
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| the lawns of everyone in our neighborhood
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| | hang onto your list and refer to it over
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| and then left her brochure on the
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| | and over again, thus you are providing a
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| doorsteps. Not only did the neighborhood
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| | consistent reminder of your business.
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| look wonderful with all of those flags
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| | Make sure your contact information and
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| waving in the wind, but everyone loves a
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| | logo are printed on the documents.14.
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| patriotic theme. This is a great strategy
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| | Smile for the Cameras - Television news
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| for all kinds of holidays: Independence
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| | programs like to host guests who have
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| Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, etc.
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| | visual appeal. If there is something you
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| You could take this idea a step further
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| | can demonstrate, or an interesting
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| and do something similar for all of the
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| | presentation you can give, pitch your
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| major holidays. You can find inexpensive
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| | idea to local news program producers
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| novelty items in bulk from or Hold a
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| | (locate their contact information from
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| Contest - People love to get stuff for
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| | their websites). Watch your local
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| free and contests are a great way to lure
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| | programs to see what kinds of stories
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| in new customers. Make the prizes
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| | they feature and how you can tailor yours
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| something people want, or even just a
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| | to meet their needs.15. Offer Something
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| gift certificate or shopping spree for
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| | Wacky - One northern California
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| your business. Be sure to alert the media
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| | restaurant started a "Bald Tuesday"
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| to your contest. Here are some contest
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| | promotion. You guessed it; anybody who
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| ideas:* Have kids color pictures or
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| | was in a stage of balding could eat there
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| submit stories related to your business.*
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| | for free on Tuesdays. Not only did this
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| Have customers submit funny business
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| | bring people in for a free meal, those
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| slogans.* Hold a poetry contest with a
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| | patrons brought along paying customers
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| theme related to your business.* Have
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| | with full heads of hair. And the biggest
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| people submit their best solutions to
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| | benefit of all? The media loved the story
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| problems related to your business. For
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| | and covered it in the local news. Soon
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| example, if you own a garden center,
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| | the story reached national news and the
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| people could submit their best gardening
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| | restaurant became the talk of the nation.
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| tips. Take this a step further and
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| | Think of something unique and unusual
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| publish the entries in a booklet when the
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| | that will bring people in-then be sure to
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| contest is over.* Host a recipe contest
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| | alert the media.16. Online Classified Ads
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| if you have a food-related business.6.
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| | - One fabulous venue for getting the word
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| Use Gift Certificates Creatively - Gift
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| | out about your business is There is no
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| certificates are great for business
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| | charge for listing your add in a variety
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| because they cost you next to nothing,
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| | of categories and Craigslist now has a
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| bring in cash, and often they are not
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| | presence in most major cities. Ads are
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| redeemed. Get your customers to buy gift
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| | archived for two weeks, so be sure to
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| certificates by offering them a special
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| | resubmit regularly. Try different ads to
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| bonus. For example: Buy a gift
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| | see what works best. You can even offer a
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| certificate for $20 or more and receive
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| | discount or special offer for people who
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| $5 off your next purchase with us. When
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| | print the ad and bring it to you.17.
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| the customer purchases a gift
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| | Record Audio CDs - It can be relatively
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| certificate, you then give them one worth
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| | inexpensive to record a CD using your
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| $5 dated for use the following month
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| | computer with a recordable disk drive.
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| only. This means that your customer must
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| | You can put together and audio
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| return to you the following month and if
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| | presentation that your prospects can
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| they do, will probably spend more than
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| | listen to in their cars. Assemble a
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| the free $5 you've given them.7. In-Home
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| | display and give them away. You can also
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| Parties - Mary Kay, Tupperware, and
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| | place them in the same types of venues
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| Pampered Chef are just a few of the
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| | where you distribute fliers.18. Turn Your
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| companies who generate big sales from
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| | Customers into Billboards - Give away
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| small parties. This strategy won't work
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| | your shirts, hats, and other gear or sell
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| for all businesses, but if you have
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| | it at cost. The big companies print their
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| products that would benefit from an
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| | logos on everything and get people to
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| in-home party, contact your friends,
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| | buy, so you can too. Make sure it's
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| family, and business associates and get
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| | something of interest that people will
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| the party started.8. Join Local Trade
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| | want to wear. You could put a fun image
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| Organizations - Many organizations hold
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| | or phrase on the front of a shirt, with
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| regular meetings and free seminars,
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| | your company logo and website address on
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| providing you with another opportunity to
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| | the back. Be creative!19. Make it Stick -
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| make valuable contacts. Toastmasters (
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| | Magnets are an inexpensive way to leave a
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| has chapters all over the U.S. and there
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| | lasting impression. Print your business
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| are probably dozens of other
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| | card and logo on a magnet. Many people
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| organizations in your community to choose
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| | stick these on their refrigerators and
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| from. Even if you don't think your
| |
| | will remember it's there when it's time
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| business can benefit from networking, you
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| | to call a plumber, do their taxes, or
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| might be surprised by the connections you
| |
| | order supplies. These are especially
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| can make at these events.9. Join
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| | effective for service businesses. You can
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| Everything - Even the PTA (Parent
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| | order these from Use Your License Plate
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| Teacher's Association) can be a great
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| | - It only costs a bit extra to order
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| place to network. Join book clubs,
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| | vanity plates from the DMV. If your
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| writer's groups, or any groups of
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| | business name fits on a plate, put it on
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| interest to you, even if they don't
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| | there. Be sure to frame it with a vanity
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| directly relate to your business. Get
| |
| | license plate frame.Your local community
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| known by everyone. They will associate
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| | is a great place to build support and
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| you with your business as soon as they
| |
| | recognition for your business so don't
|
| get to know you and your mere presence at
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| | miss out on this valuable opportunity. By
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| functions could serve as a reminder and
| |
| | implementing even one of these suggested
|
| cause members to want to do business with
| |
| | marketing strategies, you could open new
|
| you.10. Use Networking to Build Alliances
| |
| | doors for business opportunities.
|
| - The secret to effective networking is
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| |
|
