Large Corporations employ marketing professionals to devise creative marketing strategies which directly generate business. Small companies with two or more owners share the responsibility for marketing their products and services. For the one-man or one-woman operation (the sole proprietorship), getting the word out about the business is challenging. The sole idea of creating a stream of new customers can be daunting.  However, don’t get worried!  There are some creative and easy ways to generate business as a sole proprietor that will pay big returns for the invested time and effort.

A business structured as a sole proprietorship means there is one owner, and that one person runs the entire show, especially in the early days of the business. Michael E. Gerber, the author of the “E-Myth,” describes this sole proprietor as the entrepreneur, the manager, and the technician all rolled into one. While Gerber explains that many small businesses fail using this business model, there are businesses that thrive and grow this way… for a time. Assuming growth is the goal, and it is for the clear majority of people who start businesses in the first place, running the whole show alone becomes impractical and eventually becomes a hindrance to success. That is a topic for another discussion.

Have you decided to start a business as a bookkeeper, and financial planner, a housekeeper, an educational tutor, or a computer repair person? Have you been in business for years and old marketing strategies just aren’t generating the volume of business you need?  To survive, you must fill the pipeline!

For a sole proprietor who begins and could remain the one and only operator, there are some factors to consider when determining how to creatively generate new business.

Budget

Budget is the top consideration when it comes to creative marketing. The question isn’t always whether there is a budget for marketing. In business, there should ALWAYS be a budget for marketing. It will be small or very small for many new businesses, but it is necessary.  As the business grows, the budget will grow. How big? That depends on more variables than space and time allow for on this post.  By placing an emphasis on actually having a budget, you are prepared to create a return on your investment. 

Time

Time can fit into the budget category in a sense, but I’ll address it on its own here. The amount of time a business owner has to invest in generating new business is instrumental in choosing a method or platform with which to work.  A fourteen or sixteen-hour day spent on your craft does not leave much creative juice to work up a creative marketing plan, let alone deploy it. Make sure your calendar has plenty of ‘life’ time inked in. The balance will help keep you healthy, keep stress at low or manageable levels, and help keep you happy doing what you do.  Get hold of a great organizer and calendar your personal time, work time, and marketing time! Stick to it and you will reap the rewards.

Creative Marketing

Where the creativity comes in is how you go about generating new business as a sole proprietor. Determining what you will do will help you set the budget. Where your dollars are going to be spent and how much traction will each dollar get are all important things to consider.

The method will also determine how you set up your calendar. (Some will require more time than others). Various creative ways to generate business require little time and there are still others that require intense planning.  I’m going to share some creative ways businesses like those I listed before, and many more, can creatively generate new business.

Network, Network, Network

Networking allows you to create a real presence in the business world. Networking with local businesses and the community creates opportunities to introduce the business yet adds that valuable personal component to your business. In our relational culture, networking puts a face to a business and creates an opportunity to build relationships.

There are usually dozens of monthly networking opportunities that cost little to nothing within most communities.

Most Chamber of Commerce organizations, Rotary, Lions Clubs and business to business networking groups schedule meetings to fit into every busy calendar.

The method? Easy. Say hello, briefly give your elevator speech, and get to know the person in front of you. I know a few entrepreneurs who have generated new business in this way so I know it works. Do you need a great elevator speech? I touch on the Essence of a Great Elevator Speech in another blog post.  Please feel free to take a look. 

Refer and Recommend

Referrals and recommendations are FREE and effective! Do you work with vendors or partner with other businesses to provide your services to clients?  Do you have trusted business relationships with others who provide services you don’t? If there are no competitive reasons to keep quiet –  don’t. Create links to your website and ask others to do the same for you. Speak of these partner businesses when you know of someone in need of their services. If yours is a brick and mortar business, create a space to share business cards for businesses you like and ask them to do the same. Share and ask for recommendations on social media and in business networking circles.

Donate and Sponsor

Sponsor local sports teams. To generate business in your hometown, get your name on the team jersey for all to see. You will gain recognition and a reputation for caring about your community.

When the budget is tight, look up one of those awesome non-conflicted businesses in your circle of influence and offer a co-sponsorship opportunity.

Finally, put a few games on your calendar and show up wearing your cool imprinted polo shirt with a few business cards in your pocket. Mingle and meet the families that do business in your town.  

Host an Event 

Want to take networking to a new level? Host a networking event and invite business owners, influencers, and friends with whom you wish to do business or get referrals. Other creative marketing events to host include ‘lunch-n-learns’ where you can teach or invite others to teach topics valuable to others in the business community. Hosting or co-hosting a fundraising event for a local charity or organization important to the community is another creative way to generate business. You will have the opportunity to highlight your business and demonstrate your passion for the community.

Get Media Attention

Every business has a story to tell. Telling that story via media relations benefits business in several ways. If you approach it in the right way, you could reap amazing rewards!

First, the cost of a press release is relatively low if the release is written in-house. There are strict guidelines to follow for an effective press release so hiring a professional is a good idea, and the cost is still lower than paid advertising in the media.

Another benefit is the significant boost in visibility for business, which is super important to small business. Do you want to position your business to stand out from others in your industry and in your community? Media relations is a great way to do just that. There are methods of getting your business heard through media, and while a press release seems a quick and easy answer, it isn’t as simple as just “write it and they will come.” Getting the attention of the person inside the media platform is essential. I cover this in more detail in my post, 8 Tips for Developing Relationships with Journalists.

In the world of marketing and business, there are so many ways to approach the marketplace a sole proprietor can become overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. Too often, these small business owners get so overwhelmed with the concept of marketing their business they throw hands in the air, order business cards, throw a few social media posts out and hope for the best. At Chemistry Multimedia, we have the team, the tools, and the experience to help the sole proprietor develop creative strategies that work to generate business. We can develop plans to fit your budget, help you keep your work-life balance in check, and we put proven methodologies to work for you.