HERE I am!

Let's see...we've covered topics such as preparing for entrepreneurship, logos, colors, fonts, photography, business cards, quality workmanship, materials, pricing, and a few more. What are we missing? Publicity. Now that your business is coming together, how will you let other people know you exist?

There are a number of outlets that can be used to "get the word out" about your business. I will list a few:

• Website
• Social networking forums/websites
• Press release
• Blogs
• Friends and relatives
• Newsletters

I can't count the number of times I have been asked, "Do you have a website?" Today, the Internet has become a vital tool in so many household across the globe. Even as a consumer, I shop and compare products online. I will even look for restaurant menus online before choosing a location to dine. I check store hours, weather conditions, current events, etc, etc, etc! Not investing in at least a simple brochure-type website is a costly mistake.

Social networking may or may not bring direct sales, but could give you sales leads and referrals. I have purchased many gifts from independent business I would not have otherwise known about because of these networking groups. http://www.indiepublic.com is a relatively new site, but is quickly growing everyday.

The mysterious press release. In all honesty, I can devote an entire post to this subject, so I will leave it for another day.

Blogs are fun and a purely personal choice for many business owners. Some feel blogs may give out too much personal or proprietary information. Others use them for keeping in touch with friends or family. And, myself, share little tid-bits that I think and hope other new business owners may find of use or can help them become a little more successful.

Friends and family are a great (and free) source for spreading the word about your business. Ask them to post flyers at their places of business, Church bulletin boards or wherever they have access to. Again, the point is to get your name out there and build your brand identity.

Newsletters are also a great resource. If you are vending at a craft show, ask customers and non-customers alike to sign up for your newsletter. There are several free and low cost newsletter dispersing firms that can help you in this area. Again, the point is to have a constant reminder of your business. (But don't be too pushy or every newsletter will end up in the "junk" folder)