No business does particularly well when there is a start-stop flow of customers. The ideal situation is to have a steady flow, instead, but this can be quite difficult for small businesses which may need to focus on creation after a period of service. For example, a software company that only has a couple of people working it will tend to sell for a bit, then stop selling in order to work on the next piece of software.

Keeping up a steady flow of clients requires some planning on your part. You`ll need to get out there and sell, at least part of the time. Here are a few ideas for increasing leads:

Speaking. Speaking at events is something that won`t take much time (unless you have to travel a long distance), but allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your field and also lets you make a large number of sales that will continue to trickle in for a while afterwards.

Website promotion. Having your website up and running and doing some work on it on a regular basis, linkbuilding, etc. will pay off in a steady income.

Networking. This needn`t take much time. A couple of comments on blogs each day, checking in with your preferred social networking service, etc. will only take a short amount of time, but can pay off big time. Schedule networking into your business day.

Each of these techniques will help bring in a good solid flow of clients, allowing you to stay in business without pounding the pavement every day. This frees you up for new product creation and other marketing ideas, as well.

There`s the temptation with graphic design to create a busy design with many elements. Especially if you are paying someone else to do the design for you. However, often less is more when it comes to graphic design.

If you think about it, what logos stick in your mind? Think about Nike . . . a simple swoosh symbol. McDonalds has a plain yellow M. Despite being ultra simple, these logos work and are a great example of why simple graphic design works.

Don`t go overboard when you`re looking at graphic design options. While it is certainly tempting to get a lot of elements crammed into the design, you`ll likely find that a simpler option is much better received than a super busy design. It`s also infinitely more professional.

With graphic design, remember that less really is more. Your design can be simple and effective.

Have you been struggling to get your small business out there? Working hard to market, but not really sure what you`re doing? I get a lot of emails asking for advice and though I do try to provide a lot of information on this blog and my website, sometimes you just need a little extra boost. Which is why I`m running a new workshop.

The marketing workshop will be held on Oct. 14th from 6-8:30 pm at Byerlys Community Center Ridgedale, 3081 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305. I`ll be covering all the basics to help you get started, including:

• Article marketing
• Social media marketing
• Online press releases
• Using the above for SEO

This is the perfect opportunity if you are in the area (or willing to travel a bit) to learn more about how to effectively market your small business online. The cost is just $50, affordable to all.

To register for this class, just head over to Social Web Training and sign up.

Every small business could use more money, but if you aren`t making a lot right now, then you can “make” more by using frugal blue chip marketing tips! It`s something that can benefit companies of any size, but smaller ones will find it most useful, of course.

Network, network, network. It`s free marketing! Whether you`re at a conference, a community potluck or online in social marketing forums, make sure you put yourself out there and make your business known.

Get a blog. If you don`t already have a business blog, then this should definitely be on the to do list. It`s cost effective and yet a great way to boost your visibility online.

Encourage word of mouth. There are plenty of ways to do this, offer a discount for telling a friend, set up an affiliate program, or offer rewards or 2 for 1 deals for those who bring a friend.

All of these are low cost and yet still very effective. Small businesses can really benefit from implementing these types of marketing techniques into their daily routine.

Narrowing your marketing efforts is a great way for small businesses to save some money while getting better results for the effort. A general campaign might work, but it rarely brings in the amount of clients that a properly targeted marketing campaign would.

You probably have a pretty good idea of what your market is. Whether you`re selling to teens, single moms or corporate males in their 40`s, you should know at least the basics of your target market. However, if you can narrow it down, you`ll find that you have a far more focused marketing strategy that yields better results.

Do you know everything about your target market? If not, then you will need to do a little market research to ensure that you are aiming your marketing at them the right way. For example, if you write an ad aimed at single mothers, referencing staying at home, you`ve just lost a huge part of your market, since most single mothers work.

While you can still have a wider audience, it often helps to aim your ads and split your email lists into more targeted groups so you can speak specifically to them. You`ll notice a marked improvement once you are marketing to specific groups, rather than a general audience.

Article marketing is a pretty effective method of promoting your business these days, but unfortunately, a lot of business owners don`t realize just how valuable it can be and they either don`t bother or they don`t put a lot of effort into this area of their business.

If you`re looking for super cheap marketing, then article marketing is the way to go. In fact, you`ll find that you are able to draw quite a bit of traffic to your website with just a couple of well-placed articles. If they are well written, it`s quite likely they will even go viral and you`ll not only end up with more traffic and potential buyers, you`ll also get some great back links.

Article marketing is definitely something that businesses of all sizes can use, but most of them won`t ever get around to it and have no idea what they are missing. If you want to start growing your business at a steady rate, you`d do well to try article marketing, even if only on a small scale.

There are quite a few things to consider in article marketing, including if the article is of good enough quality to attract readers. People have short attention spans and will only stick around to read the article if they are comfortable and interested. So, by assuring that your article marketing ventures are full of useful and interesting information, you will attract more readers and therefore more traffic.

When you’re ready to build your website you’ll need to pick a good domain name. There are several ways to do this:

• You can pick a keyword-based domain name
• Go for the branding effect - ie. Small Business Mavericks
• Combine the two approaches and brand a keyword-based domain name

Obviously, the best approach is No. 3, but you can be successful with the other two as well. Choose whether having your keyword in your domain name is important or not. Keep in mind that if you opt for the branding effect over keyword-based then you might have some initial struggles in seeing your website ranked, but it is possible to do it with the branded site name. Still, you shouldn’t do either until you do your keyword research.

The reason you want to do your keyword research first is to outline the possibilities. You want to see what keywords are the most popular and most profitable from a search point of view. After you’ve done and looked at your competition then you can start thinking about your name - but you’ll also want to define your business little bit first. What is your niche? Do you have a niche within a niche? Are you targeting a specific demographic? Know as much about your business as you can before you start.

Next, you’ll want to make a list of potential domain names. After you’ve come up with names, search whois to find out if they are taken. If not, snatch up the one you want as quickly as possible because some people watch to see what is being searched for then buy up the ones with the most potential. You could stand to lose your domain name if it’s sales-worthy.

If any of this seems confusing or you need a little help along the way, just contact Melberg Marketing for the right domain name guidance.

Look, bottom line: If you’re going to succeed on the Web then you need to get creative. Stop doing the same ol’ same ol’. Here are 10 easy things you can do today to help you get more creative in your marketing:

1. Stop listening to negative talk. If anyone says you can’t, just close your ears because I know you can.
2. Subscribe to as many RSS feeds in your niche as you can. And read at least three of them each day.
3. See something someone else is doing? Like it? Doesn’t matter; use what others are doing if it is successful. Adapt it for your own situation.
4. Break a glass. No, not literally. Just do something different. Anything. Surprise yourself. It doesn’t even have to be business related. Eat breakfast at the same coffee shop every morning? Well, tomorrow go somewhere else. Break a window.
5. Keep a journal. Write every day. Even if it’s just two sentences. Reflect on what you are doing.
6. Spend 5-15 minutes a day brainstorming for new ideas. You won’t get to them all and don’t try to. At the end of each week, review your brainstorming lists and highlight the top 5 that show some promise. Make a plan to implement them.
7. Read a book. Hold it in your hands. It’s old-fashioned, but it’s also relaxing.
8. Tell someone you love them. Trust me, it works.
9. Resist an impulse. Any impulse. If it’s something you would normally do then break your routine. It’s better than breaking windows.
10. Take a successful person to lunch and listen to everything they say. Ask questions.

Sometimes all it takes a small and simple thing to give you an idea that will rock the world.

Every once in awhile I run across a blogger who says don’t do this or don’t do that because it’s a waste of time. Perhaps it is, for them.

As an example, one blogger recently commented that Twitter is a total waste. Well, would people be doing it if it were? I mean, there are thousands of successful business people on Twitter every day. That doesn’t mean you should be using Twitter. It just means that those business people have found a use for it.

I’m all for making your own decisions. I think it would behoove every business person to study the options available and pick the ones that are right for you. Need a blog? Only you can decide that. Need to do some forum posting? Maybe. Have the time? Give it a try.

It’s all about trying new things, seeing what works, ditching what doesn’t, and keeping your business afloat. Aren’t you doing that anyway?

by Diane Autey

One of the most effective marketing tools for speakers, authors and service providers is a 1-2 page “sell sheet” or “one-sheet.” Printed in full-color on 8 ½” x 11” coated paper, it stands out in pocket folders and at trade shows and professional association meetings. It’s a great conversation-starter when you hand it out in person or at networking events.

The Trick? Say it Quick
It is best to write in “sound bites” – brief statements and lists of key benefits. Direct your messages to your target audience. Tell them, “What’s in it for me?” Include a combination of paragraphs, statements, bulleted lists and credibility-building testimonials and/or credentials.

Well-written sell sheets include:

• Attention-grabbing headline
• Company logo and name
• List of services or key features
• Client testimonials with company logos
• Photos and graphics
• Biography or company description
• Contact information

If you’re an author, include your book cover(s). If you’ve been published, include a list of publications, article titles and dates. If you’re a speaker, list the topics you address.

Have it Professionally Designed
Effective use of graphics, text, images and colors will make it or break it. Graphic designers think visually and can make your words come to life. A professional, graphically appealing presentation is well worth the investment.

Print it Digitally
If you’re printing less than 1,000, digital is the way to go. The quality of digital printing is so good nowadays that only the experts can tell if a piece is printed digitally or conventionally. Unless they’re in the industry, your customer’s can’t. The price has also become quite reasonable as the technology has improved.

Use your Sell Sheet to Open Doors
The sell sheet won’t make the sale for you, but it’s a powerful door-opener and conversation starter. It boosts your professionalism and credibility in the eyes of your prospects. Along with your business card, use it at every opportunity and you will generate more business.

Diane Autey, President of Projects Done Write, specializes in projects with depth and complexity that impact a company’s bottom line. Diane can be reached at diane@projectsdonewrite.com or 612-716-7642.