Three Easy Ways to Get New Customers for Your Small Business

ATLANTA - May 9, 2013 - PRLog -- Clients and customers are the lifeline of any small business. You can have the best product or service in the world, but without buyers, your business will fold; it can't survive. Below are three surefire, "traditional" ways to get new clients and customers knocking on your door.

1. Advertising. Advertising is one of the oldest forms of attracting new customers. Traditional forms include television, radio and newspaper. But for a start-up enterprise, many traditional outlets may be too costly. However, there are many affordable television, radio and newspaper venues for small businesses, as well as a host of internet outlets to help companies grow their client list. See below for some examples:

Television. Many small cable channels offer low ad rates for local businesses. Reach out to stations in your area and ask for rates and demographic information.

Newspaper. Consider placing ads in community newspapers in your city or town to get the word out about your company.

Internet Radio. There are many internet radio stations and niche shows that offer affordable advertising. Dig around online and find radio stations with formats that fit your company's products and services.

Advertising on Websites and Blogs. As a small business in a digital age, you must add online advertising to your media mix. Consider purchasing display ad space on blogs and websites that already speak directly to your customer-base. You can place ads on some blogs for as little as $10 per month.

2. Getting Referrals. As a business owner, you can always get new clients and customers by simply asking for them. That's right; when you sell goods or services to an existing customer, ask them to refer your company's products or services to someone else. You can ask in several ways. Here are some simple tips to get you brainstorming about ways to ask your current customers for new business:

(a) When an existing customer leaves your store or office, verbally thank them for their business, letting them know you appreciate customers like them. Then, let them know you appreciate referrals so you can provide services and products they've come to enjoy to their family and friends.

(b) Offer your customers or clients a discount on their next purchase for any new people they send your way. Institutions like banks use referral gathering promotions often. Picture the promo material you've probably seen with your bank statements.

(c) Provide a feedback card for your customers to complete. Use part of it to get the names of referrals from your satisfied customers.

There are many ways to effectively get referrals from existing clients and customers. The above hints will get your mind churning. Remember, the key is to "ask" for new business from your existing client-base.

3. Networking. Another powerful way to get new clients is by networking. Plan to get out and meet new people, all the while spreading the word about your business. You can network formally or informally. Here's how:

Formal: Attend a free Chamber of Commerce meeting in your town. Most Chambers offer one or two free meetings so you can determine if you want to eventually pay to become a member. During the free meeting, you can take advantage of the initial half hour or so they slot for business owners to mingle and meet.

Informal. You can also network informally by attending social events or outings in your community. For example, the next time you're invited to a barbecue, go! Plan to introduce yourself and hint about your business to at least one or two new people.

Informal tactics are a little trickier, because your neighbor's friend is not attending the barbecue to hear a business speech. But when people ask what you do (which is a normal question at social outings), briefly tell them and say your company name. For example, you can say, "I own a foreclosure cleaning company, ABC Foreclosure Cleanup." No harm in that. If the person shows interest, hand them one of your trashout business cards so you all can keep in touch.

You simply must network to get new clients and customers. There are some hard and fast rules to follow for effective networking "follow-up" so the people you meet can actually become clients.

See article entitled, Foreclosure Cleaning: 10 Easy Small Business Networking Tips, http://www.foreclosure-cleanup-blog.com/?p=8212, to get some ideas on how to follow-up successfully. (This resource relates to the foreclosure cleanup industry, but the fundamental rules of successful follow-up for small businesses are pretty much the same.)

Advertise Your Business, Network, and Ask for Referrals


The above are three simple ways to attract more customers for your business using traditional methods. Plan to implement them (advertising, referral gathering and networking) to take your small business to the next level.