Your local Chamber of Commerce. Now before you stop reading, I assure you this really works, and no, this is not an advertisement for
Chamber of Commerce although it may read like one. What seems now like a hundred years ago I owned and operated a company that was made up of three components: a monthly magazine that we converted over to Internet (http://WWW.SBMag.org); a graphic art studio; and an advertising agency. While we were in our infant stages, one of tools I used to build a client base was a one hour consultation for new business start-ups on how to get business with little or no advertising budget.
This program was very successful, and we ended up with a number of excellent clients that stayed with us for years. Most, if not everything that I suggested in that one hour session many years back, is still valid today.
The first thing I would recommend for a new business owner was to become a joiner. If your business is a mama-papa business, you should both join an organization or two, but not same ones. Spread it out.
The first organization I always recommended joining was local Chamber of Commerce. Your Chamber of Commerce should be number one advocate for business of all sizes in your community. Most are structured about same way with a variety of committees that deal with specific issues related to different aspects that make up your community. Make sure you become active in committee that has closest relationship to your business. If you are a retailer, join retail merchants committee; if you are a contractor, you may want to join government affairs committee or transportation and traffic committee, etc., etc. If opportunity presents itself, you may also want to consider chairing one of these committees or gaining a seat on board of directors. This will add instant credibility and more exposure to you and your business. But be selective and don’t take on more responsibilities then you want to do or, worse yet, than you can do. Failing here can create negative public relations, direct opposite of why you are there to begin with.
Most Chambers also sponsor any number of different networking opportunities ranging form mixers to field trips. Attend as many of these functions as you can, and always make sure you wear a nametag and have plenty of businesses cards with you. My favorites were mixers. However, don’t be obnoxious about it. I have seen people attending chamber events and simply walking around and sticking their business cards in people’s faces and launching into some sort of sales pitch. This won’t get it done. In fact, all it will do is tick people off. Remember, you are only there to meet and greet people and make friends and contacts, not sell them something right then and there.
Also remember that most, if not all, people in attendance are probably there for same reason you are. Quite often I found it more beneficial to listen more then talk. People that have something to say are appreciative of those that are willing to listen. I can remember incidences where someone would say to me later that I really made a great impression on so-and-so, and that they thought what a great guy I was. In reality, I hardly said more then 20 words to so-and-so, but I did spend a half hour listening to him.
Some Chambers will arrange a ribbon cutting ceremony for you when you first join, assuming yours is a new business. If your business is not all that new, they may be willing to do something similar in way of announcing you as a new member to Chamber.
