New Business Tips: How To Jumpstart Your Business

Entrepreneurs often start their ventures on shoestring budgets, hoping to present their fledgling businesses as professionally as possible while spending as little money as possible. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to stick to your budget without having to skimp on the necessities of running your business.

One of the most important aspects of ensuring your business's success is marketing. To some the mere concept of marketing is daunting, but rest assured it's easy and inexpensive to market your business. Following are several ways you can ensure the word gets out about your business:

Business Cards – Business cards are an essential marketing tool. The standard rule is to always hand out two business cards to each prospective client or current client. Why? Simple: One business card is for the person with whom you're talking, and the extra business card is for that person to pass along to someone else.

There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to how to best use the space on a business card. Some believe it is best to use both sides of the business card. Others, however, believe that leaving one side blank is ideal because that gives the recipient room to write notes, such as how and when he or she met you. Which way you decide to go really depends on your personal preference. The most important thing is you purchase business cards and use them.

Postcards – You can use postcards in your marketing for several purposes. For example, you can send out postcards to introduce your business to prospective clients, or you can use postcards to advertise an upcoming promotion.

Postcards are also an ideal way to keep in touch with your base of customers, to thank them for their business. Additionally, you can purchase bulk mailing rates from the post office to save on your mailing costs.

Letterhead – If you're going to be sending out professional correspondence, you need professional letterhead. Ideally, your letterhead will match your business cards and Web site.

Brochures – Brochures are an excellent way to promote your business. A brochure allows you limited space to get your message across to and sell to potential clients. You can mail brochures to prospective customers, or you can keep them in your place of business, if customers come to your office. Keep them in a prominent place, making it easy for customers and prospective customers to grab one on their way in or out of your office.

You may also want to scan your brochure, save it in PDF form, and offer it on your Web site for those prospective clients who want to check it out.

Finally, if you don't have a huge budget to hire a professional graphic designer, you can find high quality templates – for your business cards, postcards, letterhead, and brochures – for affordable prices on the internet. Some businesses, like Sky Templates, even offer printing in addition to high quality templates, making it easy for you to get all of your essential marketing materials in one place for a fair price.