Marketing for the Self-Employed

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Being your own boss can be exhilarating, exciting and fulfilling. Being self-employed also means taking on the roles of owner, employee, sales person, bookkeeper, and marketer. You have to do it all or hire others, but that takes money and most newly self-employed don’t have that luxury. When you are working on a tight budget, advertising/marketing can be a challenge.

Marketing your business is crucial to finding success. If people do not know you exist how can they become your customer? Most newly self-employed people invest in business cards and letter head but that doesn’t even come close to scratching the surface of marketing your business. Handing out business cards is of course a must, but you need to go further, explore other options.

There are ways to advertise your business cheaply and effectively! Printing out fliers is very inexpensive and you can post them at local retail stores, hand them out on the street, post them at your local library etc. Of course always ask permission before just posting a flier at someone else’s business.

Another inexpensive way to market your business is to contact the local cable television stations. They often have very inexpensive packages and can advertise your business to a much larger audience!

Being self-employed means being solely responsible for getting the word out! Talk to friends, family, acquaintances, former co-workers etc. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth! Many businesses have made it big just because people were talking about them.

With the advent of technology you can create a webpage and suddenly have an audience of millions! You can post ads on places like CraigsList.com and even sell your service or product on EBay. The internet gives the self-employed a whole new platform for marketing themselves. Don’t forget the power of blogging! Get involved in forums and blog sites directly related to your business. Become an expert in your field and people will seek you out!

You should also join as many organizations as possible. Join the local chamber of commerce, and of course let the Better Business Bureau know you exist and are open for business. Join social networking groups and affiliate yourself with others in your line of business.

Another often forgotten way to advertise cheaply is to get involved in civic events. Parades and festivals are held across the land and you can always get involved and advertise in this way!

Self-employed people are so busy with the daily tasks involved in running their businesses they often overlook the obvious. People need to know you are out there, they need to know about your product or service and that you provide value. Your business will never succeed if it is kept a secret!

You are self-employed; you are excited, proud and eager. Let the world know! Scream it from the roof tops if you have to! You are the boss, you are in charge; you can make your business a success. Believe in yourself, show your confidence and provide a real value and being self-employed can be the best thing you have ever done for yourself!