So many of us are just starting out with our small, home based businesses and have limited finances. There are a few important things I think one should have for their business and most can be obtained with little to no revenue.
1 - Business Cards - They are a quick way to put your business out there to the masses. So often when I met people and we decide to exchange contact information, I simply hand them a business card. I have one for my photography business and one for Polly & Meek. Everything is right there...email, phone number and most of all your company name. People remember that and will turn to you when they need a service that you provide. I like this site for purchasing reasonably price business cards or you can use Avery templates to make your own!
2 - A Company Website- I know what you are thinking...I am on a shoe string budget right now and cannot afford a company website. Ever thought of using the free blogs as your website until you can get one up and going? When I first launched my photography business, I used blogspot to advertise. When I saved enough funds, I found a reasonable priced website and went with them. There are sites such as Yahoo Small Business that offer very affordable website hosting and domain names that can fit into your company's budget. Heck, even Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are excellent free sources for networking!
3 - Payment Options - Once you get your website up and running, it is imperative that you have a few payment options. I started out with the cash only option, and that worked fine for a while as most of my work was face to face anyway. But once I decided to do weddings, it became important for me to be able to accept down payments over the internet if a customer opted to do so. I did this through Paypal by opening a personal paypal account. That way I could accept credit card payments. Polly & I use Business Paypal to accept credit card payments online and it has worked wonderfully without a hitch. It did not cost us a dime and we have gained a whole new customer base by using it.
These are just a few things to get your started and provide you with a professional start to your small business. It costs little but pays off alot! I hope you feel encouraged to go forth and use your gift.
"The blessings of the Lord maketh it rich and addeth no sorrow to it" ~ Proverbs 10:22
Many Blessings,
Meek
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