How does a small business get bigger?

Methods firms use to advertise have developed over the years

One of the big issues for ambitious small firms looking to grow is how to attract new customers.

You know you have a great product, or offer a good service, but how do you best make yourself known to would-be buyers?

Here Ganesh Selvarajah, an advisor at Business Link, the government-funded business support service, looks at how to best target your advertising or marketing spend.

QUESTION

Matthew asks: "We are a small road-marking company based in East Anglia.

Our company has been running for approximately two years, purely from word of mouth and recommendations.

We are now looking to increase our revenue and would like some pointers as to the best advertising investments.

We already have a website and are listed on most directory sites, but realise it is an unusual area to market. Thanks in advance for any ideas or advice you can offer."

ANSWER

"As the road-marking industry is a very niche market, all your advertising and marketing would need to be targeted at the correct audience to maximise your spend," says Ganesh Selvarajah of Business Link.

"Do your research and think about who your 'dream clients' would be.

Once you've decided, I recommend creating a brochure that you can send out to your targeted client list - this list can be divided into two areas - the public and private sector.

Ask Ganesh Selvarajah a question

For the public sector, you could target local schools, hospitals, National Trust sites, English Heritage houses, or Forestry Commission sites that might need their roads marked.

You could also consider opportunities with local and national military establishments.

Do the legwork

The private sector consists of privately-owned car parks that may need some road marking. For example, factory car parks, car showrooms, industrial complexes, chemical plants, golf clubs, sports clubs, gyms, ports and harbours, and railway stations.

Getting in touch with each of these may involve a lot of legwork but it will be worth it.

If you've done something interesting or have a good story to tell, PR is a fantastic way of building up brand awareness

I advise calling up each business before sending off the brochure to start building up relationships and make sure it reaches the right person.

If you just mail out randomly you will have a very low hit rate, which is a waste of both time and money, so it is much more effective to create a relationship with the company so that they recognise you when literature arrives.

Developing your website is also key to gaining more contacts. Work out what it is that makes you different from your competitors and make sure that this 'unique selling point' is clear on your homepage.

You need to include a few case study examples of work that you have done before, with quotes from clients recommending you to others.

Power of PR

There are also a number of standards that you can achieve that shows the service you give is of a certain quality.

Because road-marking is such a specialist trade, people won't be looking in their local papers for these services, so it may not be money well spent on advertising in these types of publications.

I recommend making sure your details are correct and up-to-date in popular directory listings, websites, and your relevant trade association.

To see which advertising method is best for you, the Business Link website has a tool to help you make the right choice for your company.

One of the most cost effective ways of increasing awareness is public relations (PR).

If you've done something interesting or have a good story to tell, PR is a fantastic way of building up brand awareness.

It is well worth having a look at the PR tips and advice also available on the Business Link website."

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