Doing your own PR
Never go out without a business card or a sample.
Turn yourself into an expert in your own field Give talks, write articles and enter business awards to spread the word about you and your business for free.
Produce a monthly newsletter about your market and circulate it to people who might be potential customers (or know somone who could be).
Your name has to be seen SEVEN times before it is remembered - so don't give up!
Get a good corporate image and replicate it across everything that is on view to the outside world: your literature, your website and even your car!
Set a marketing budget and be really mean with it! Should you really advertise or can you direct mail your potential customers at lower cost and with better results?
Take advantage of free marketing training or seminars or invest in yourself and spend some of your budget on learning how to market more efficiently.
Swap! In your networking groups do you know someone who writes wonderful copy? Could you do something for them in return?
Newspaper PR is free if you have an interesting story If there is an interesting background to your business, or you have an upcoming event, send a press release to your local paper.