Tip #1

Sarah Edwards: Probably the hardest (and the easiest) thing to do is picking a specialty or niche for what you do and defining it in a way that arouses people’s interest. You need to stand out as one in a million instead of being one of a million. The biggest mistake people make is to define themselves as a bookkeeper or a consultant or this or that--something that people recognize but provides little compelling reason to do business with them.

Before a business sets out to market, it needs to decide who am I? What’s different about me? What is it that people could want from me? Why should they buy from me as opposed to other people? How can you describe that in a way they will remember?

Tip #2

Sarah Edwards: You can have a professional looking package that you create yourself on a computer and printer. You can place your logo and content on a variety of preprinted papers, in a variety of colors and designs. The elements that go into this presentation package are your bio, product or service descriptions, copies of any media articles you’ve generated, and testimonials from clients or customers.

Tip #3

Paul Edwards: The good news is, if you have a color printer, and we recommend you do, you can colorfully customize your presentation package for potential clients. Create and present proposals that are relevant to that client’s industry or business. You can print them up one-at-a-time and customize each one to say just what you want to say to that particular company.

Tip #4

Paul Edwards: When working for a client, exceed what you promised you would do. He or she will want to tell others about it.

Tip #5

Sarah Edwards: Find out about gatekeepers and mentors. Get publicity and generate referrals by being involved in charity events and other activities that will get others talking about you.

Tip #6

Paul Edwards: When clients are pleased with what you’ve been doing, ask them if they wouldn’t mind putting their satisfaction in a letter to you.

Tip #7

Sarah Edwards: I think it’s important to let your customer know how important referrals are to you. Sometimes we assume if we do a good job, that will be enough. Of course, that’s a prerequisite. When you receive a compliment, thank the person and tell him or her that referrals are important to you. And when you get a referral always send a thank you note or acknowledge him or her in some way to show your appreciation.

Tip #8

Paul Edwards: To stay "top-of-mind," you need to stay visible because others may also be marketing to your customers. Usually, you spend more time than money on marketing when you get started. Then, as business and cash flow grow, you invest in things like advertising and mailings that cost money but save you time.

Tip #9

Paul Edwards: The more high-tech we get, the more important personal service becomes. It is one of your strongest advantages as a home business owner. We can give personal service. We can show clients how much we care about them and their importance to us, that they are not just names in a customer database.

Tip #10

PE: There are at least ten ways home businesses can team-up. These range from joint ventures to virtual organizations. By teaming up, you expand and grow without the burden of heavy personnel costs. And you can often team with people more capable than you could hire. Networking is the doorway to meeting people for these closer business relationships.