Here are a few things to consider when getting your cards done.

1. Do not go with black printing on a white card. It screams cheap and newbie. If money is tight, understandable, but go for a coloured card stock with a matching coloured print. It is still inexpensive and it doesn't scream new, or "Herb Tarlick" marketing practices.

2. Include your business name, contact name, phone number, site address, web site address and of course your address. If for security reasons you don't want to include your home address then that's fine. However, make sure you have ALL possible ways for a potential customer to do business with you.

3. USE THE BACK OF THE CARD...what a waste of potential marketing opportunities. So many people forget about this. A business card is a mini- billboard...use it ALL. On back you could have a few tips and then email address to your autoresponder for them to get more info. I had an Accountant use back of her card by providing all applicable phone numbers to all tax offices that a business owner would need. Another client of mine is a travel agent and he included all 1-800 numbers for prime airlines and car rental agencies. The idea is to make your card a keeper ;o)

Business Alliances

Ok, on line we refer to these as Joint Ventures, Business Alliances is same thing, but only name has been changed.

Leverage yourself by finding another business owner off line, where you can set up an alliance and piggy back each other's marketing efforts. This one takes a little time and effort to set up, but, once it is again you are tapping into prospects that would never have found you otherwise.

There you go, five quick tips and in some regards you can use same tactic in both on and off line marketing...so why not???

The other problem is that people are sending prospects to a sales page where they will be pitched, while yes it is understandable you want to make a sale...you really are missing boat. Nine times out of ten when people send a prospect directly to a sales page, there is NO download. A prospect comes...perhaps reads your information and they are gone. You will NEVER get them back again, which means you are continually having to go out and spend money trying to get more prospects to your sales page. Can you afford to keep doing that?? I'm suspecting not.

Instead of sending a prospect to your page, send them to where they can get a report, or ecourse at no cost to them. Use this course/report to educate your prospect and build a relationship with them, gain their trust. Within confines of your report information you are providing leads them to your sales page. The operative word here is "lead" not pull them by scruff of neck and force them to your sales page.

Having said all that...you write a classified that will send a prospect to your report or ecourse (that's Step 1). From there they download report and read your information. What is cool for you is that now you have email address of a prospect. A prospect that you can follow up with on a regular basis and build trust and rapport with (Step 2).

This process is used by all guru's. They don't lead you to a sales page, they lead you through a simple little process that builds trust and rapport along way.

The idea is to work smarter...not harder and this one simple process will certainly put you on that right track ;o)