It’s funny how things work out sometimes, but it seems as though during challenging economic times, small businesses flourish. Just look in any parking lot and chances are you’ll see at least a few cars sporting vehicle magnets promoting the owner’s small business. There are several reasons for this phenomenon.
First is the reality that with a recession come layoffs and with every layoff cycle there is a group of people who decide they’ve had it with working for another company and instead decide to start up their own. These are typically the people who work out of their homes. Being in a residential-zoned neighborhood, unless you are the postman, chances are you won’t even realize there’s a business being run from the basement as there’s usually no architectural signage or outdoor banners to announce the company name, maybe just a sticker on the mail box. The second reason for small business growth is the niches that open up for smaller companies as large manufacturers exit markets. These are the small two or three person tool shops that are able to take advantage of the closing of a plant to expand their own operations and move in to take that supplier’s place. Or they could be the restaurant that leases an empty storefront to open a second location. Whatever the nature of the business, they’re small, nimble, ambitious and willing to take some risk to move ahead.
What all small businesses need to keep in mind -whether a small manufacturer, landscaping company, home renovation firm or a single person operation consulting on a freelance basis- is that the rules of marketing still apply to them. Obviously it doesn’t make any sense for a small business to hire an expensive marketing firm or for an individual working out of their home to have outdoor banners all over their front lawn, but it’s important for any business to promote itself. Marketing and PR firms may be prohibitively expensive, but web-based retailers like signsoveramerica.com make it easy for any small business to order effective marketing collateral, signage and promotional material such as self inking stamps, tradeshow graphics, golf signs, menu boards and even architectural signage. Ordering promotional material from a web site is easy and fast, typically requiring only that you upload a graphic of your choice, then choose the products to order. Online quotes are usually available and customer service reps have walked thousands of clients through the process.
While many large companies may struggle or even fail during a recession, there’s one important lesson that small business owners can learn from these once successful firms: marketing and promotion is key to growth. Those established firms may have failed under the stress of the poor economy, but they were once very successful and promotion was no small of their success. Go ahead and start with vehicle magnets, but don’t forget to budget for marketing material to increase your profile and continue growing.
