It would be nice if you could afford network TV commercials, full-page magazine ads, and an expensive ad agency to handle all details, but if you're a small business just getting off ground, this is highly unlikely. Having a huge advertising budget can be great, but it can also create a lot of problems.

For example, I firmly believe a super-sized ad budget may make your marketing boring and ineffective. Why? Small businesses and startups who don't have much money to spend must rely on good old fashioned creativity. Since big media ads are out of question, they look for cheap or free ways to market. Those methods are often fresh, innovative, and attention-getting.

Here are some terrific low-cost ways to market your business (and they get noticed a lot more than you might think!):

* Take extra care in how you answer phone. Be bright, helpful, and eager to go extra mile.

* Put a colorful flyer in with invoices and sales letters. Highlight special deals that only current and past customers can get.

* If your store or office is on a busy corner, stand outside for a period each day and get to know those who pass by.

* Write a letter to editor of your local paper.

* Spot radio stations setting up for a live remote. Arrange to offer free prizes to their listeners (in turn they will mention you, even interview you on air.)

* Throw a monthly party at your store or office. Have cake, balloons, even a magician. Invite customers, prospects, and neighbors.

* Send a handwritten thank you note after every sale.

Another great way to market your business is to figure out WHO you should be marketing to. Nothing gets sales like good targeted direct marketing. Targeting is key. If you send your sales letter or postcard to only those people who are intensely interested in what you sell, you will have more customers than you know what to do with.

Here is an easy way to get super-targeted names. Contact clubs and associations who have members who would be very interested in what you sell. Show leader of club why his members would love to hear about your business. You can often get a list of members and addresses for cheap or free.

Even if your discount or special bonus gift is impossible to refuse, your visitors may decide to "come back tomorrow" and never return. An expiration date (today or tomorrow) compels them to buy now.

If offer is a permanent fixture on your website, you can use Javascript to give each visitor their own deadline. (The "current date" script works nicely if you don't collect email addresses to follow up.)

Don't worry about whether visitors are savvy enough to realize they can get same offer if they come back tomorrow, it will still increase your responses. I know - this trick has gotten me to buy some expensive information packages! However, if you are uncomfortable with using Javascript, you can continuously update your website with new offers and expiration dates or use cookies to send repeat visitors to a page with a different offer.

A few people may be put off by use of Javascript and feel like your offer is a "lie". These people are minority, but if you are selling software, computer equipment, or information geared toward internet and computer professionals, it will help not to use a "midnight" deadline. Avoid mentioning a specific time or offer a time when you might actually update your website, like 2pm.

(People who know Javascript just assume if you offer a time offer expires - especially midnight - that deadline is generated by Javascript. They can find out for sure by reading your source code.)

When I first heard about this technique, I was afraid to use it. It seems somehow immoral to give a "phony" deadline. Here is my justification:

We have all at one time held an expiring coupon in our hands and become determined to use it immediately (or watched a family member or friend do it). We trust coupons, we believe in coupons, and we never once think they are bad in any way even if we never use them ourselves.

Almost all coupons have an expiration date. Why? Because expiration dates work. They propel people into store/restaurant so they can get a good deal.