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1. Network, network, network. Your local Chamber of Commerce, the Web, MATCH, Small Business or Home Business Associations. Even PTOs, playgroups, etc., are good places to meet people.
2. Donate prizes to charity auctions and raffle. Make sure your business card is attached to everything you give away (including catalogs, flyers or information sheets).
3. Consider your niche market and think about calling local businesses that may profit from doing business with you (or may be interested in using your products or services to help boost employee morale).
4. Have an open house and send out invitations to everyone you know (friends, family, acquaintances) and make sure you get RSVPs. Offer small door prizes and food as incentives to attend. And if someone brings a friend (that you don't know), they get a small gift, as well (5% off their next order or something similar).
5. Offer to do a fundraiser for your local church or school. Your target audience feels like they are supporting a good cause, your "charity" makes some needed money, you also make some money and get free positive press from it.
6. Rent a booth at a craft fair. Offer to give away a prize and take names and addresses on your sign-up forms. Then use these forms for future mailings, invitations to open houses and promotions. And you may sell something while you're there, too!
7. Become an "expert" in your field and offer to talk to interested groups (church groups, libraries, moms' groups, PTOs, etc.). Keep your talks informative - not sales-oriented - but make sure everyone has your contact information before they leave.
8. Set up a free website to market your product from. It's free, so you aren't paying anything for it, and people can find you on-line. (To increase the effectiveness of your website, add it to your signature file in every e-mail, submit your site to search engines, and make sure your title and meta tags are all appropriate.) Some free websites to try: Ivillage (free sites for members), Angelfire, Moms Network Exchange (free sites in the "Suites"), Geocities, Free Yellow, and many ISPs provide their customers with free websites. Double check your agreement to make sure you are allowed to "sell" from your site before you set it up.
9. Find on-line malls that will allow you to market your products for a percentage of the sale. Many on-line malls charge monthly fees, so if you don't sell anything for the month, you lose money. However, if your mall only charges when you make a sale, then every time you make money, they make a little money, too -- but you're not losing money.
10. Make sure you have a signature file that is in all the e-mail you send out (even if you don't have a website). Your sig file should be short and to the point but should mention your name, your business name and a short business description. For example, "Christian by Design -- personal, unique gifts for all occasions." If you have a website, add it at the bottom (adding your e-mail address to your sig file can be helpful, too -- especially when you participate on discussion lists).

(c) Marybeth Henry, 1999

Marybeth Henry is the mother to Meghan and Robby, wife to Bob and the Founder and Executive Director of WAHMfest.org™, dedicated to helping moms stay home by bringing them face-to-face with business opportunities and resources. Visit our site for more information on working from home and be sure to check out our Resource Library for helpful information. She is also an Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics (visit her site here).