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Got Time but No Money to Market Your Business?

By John Holland of JH Studios, Inc.

Many entrepreneurs today are finding themselves with more time on their hands than money. Without money, the normal mainstream marketing that you did before the economy went south is probably no longer an option. So how do you get around this problem and still market your business? The answer? Kick it old school—go back to basics! Let me share an example with you… I enjoy watching a show on Bravo (aside from Top Chef) called Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. It’s about a famous hairstylist that takes time out of her busy schedule to help failing hair salons turn their business around into a profit making machine. In almost every case the salon owners were someone who had no business running a hair salon in the first place. They are often well over $50,000 in debt, about to have their home foreclosed on and their credit cards are completely maxed out. In addition to knowing nothing about how to run their business, they have no clue about how to market that business (but then... most business owners don’t). Tabatha Cofey, the show’s no-nonsense host, shows up to the salon after a full day of hidden camera surveillance and confronts the salon owner on how bad the salon is operated. The rest of the show usually involves Tabatha helping the owner, despite themselves, save their failing business. One of the lessons that Tabatha teaches is how to advertise their salon on a limited budget.

My mother is a hairstylist so I grew up around that atmosphere. Because of this fact I got an inside view to what works well with marketing a hair salon (and what doesn't). Word of mouth certainly works well , but what if you are a newly opened salon or you just rent a chair in a salon that isn’t going to help you advertise? What do you do then? A website could work for you, if it can be found on search results like the popular search engine "Google". It takes time to develop a good website that’s going to help you draw in new customers and you certainly haven’t been around long enough to get new customers from word of mouth… If you have more time on your hands than money, it’s time to get out and do a little Guerilla Marketing.

First things first— Get some business cards printed up with lines on the back that you can put in appointment times and dates. Setting appointments for a client's next visit will help you get customers get into the rhythm of coming back to you on certain schedules and gives them a feeling of commitment to show up as agreed. You are now using your business card for two purposes.. A business card and an appointment card. Make your business cards classy and eye catching, but remain true to yourself by making them match your personality. Once you get your new business cards—HAND THEM OUT! Business cards are one of the cheapest forms of advertising. They are meant to be handed out so do so! Give them to your friends and family by the handfuls and ask (No-- Beg!) them to hand your cards out to everyone that they know. Friends and family are in your life because they love you. If they love you they want you to succeed so never ever pass up that golden opportunity! Post your business cards on bulletin boards. Every college, laundromat and apartment complex has one as well as many restaurants so take advantage of them. Don’t just put one card up, put a small stack up there. Leave some business cards on the table after you’ve had lunch—maybe the waitress will want her hair done soon.

Ok… Enough about business cards… I think you get the idea. Now let’s get back to Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. Tabatha, on many of the episodes, will make the salon shut down for a day and go out to high traffic areas, whether it’s a beach, mall or bustling sidewalk area and make the salon owner and their employees go out and meet & greet people. She has them go up to people and introduce themselves and offer them a FREE CONSULTATION. Whether the person accepts the free consultation or not that person leaves with a business card or a flyer in their hands. Their efforts never seem to be wasted, because when they reopen they are usually completely booked.

Whatever your business is whether a salon, a boutique, a surf shop, a restaurant or a store that sells widgets... The lesson to be learned here is... If you have more time than you have money to advertise your business, don't stand around waiting for people to hopefully walk through your door-- Get out there and pound the pavement and do whatever it takes to bring customers to your business!

John Holland is the founder of JH Studios, Inc, a web design and marketing firm in Tampa, FL.

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Great advice I started my business the same way 6 years ago and now I have some big accounts. I don't need to do as much marketing anymore, but I still call businesses and knock on doors once in awhile.

Rocky Aug 30, 2010 10:03

Guess some of the old tried and true methods still work. Sometimes we get all hung up on the wrong things.

mulberry Aug 30, 2010 21:14

That's almost certainly sound business advice but there is a demographic (folks like me) for which business cards are little better than junk mail.

It's safe to assume that for every form of advertising there's going to be people that simply won't receive it the way you'd hope. One should focus on the medium that generates the highest return despite the fact that you won't reach a smaller demographic in the process. You can make another attempt to pick up that lost demographic later via mixed media marketing efforts-- Once you've gathered the ROI to proceed with that endeavor from the initial marketing investment. It's a given that it can take multiple attempts to break down the barriers of a potential customer. In direct mail it's recommended that you send out a minimum of 2-3 postcards over a time to get the response you're looking for. Goodness... I could write about this all day.

I think I found a topic for a future article ;) Thanks for the feedback, Andrew. I appreciate it.

Feroze Sep 2, 2010 20:23

Hi Feroze, I just put business cards in my wallet and forget about them.

Andrew Goulding Sep 2, 2010 20:31

Andrew, its either because the cards were 1) not memorable or 2)not presented in an exciting way. Imagine if those cards were attached to a chocolate or a had something useful on the back like a gauge or emergency numbers...

Feroze Sep 2, 2010 20:57

Doesn't matter how memorable the card is, once it's in the card file or even file 13 its forgotten. Business cards are good for the first time meet and then as a reference source when you are looking for someone that you know you have met. They are not advertising.

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