The good news is that there are several free or low cost marketing strategies and ideas for small business. Small shops will continue to fail as outlets such as Walmart and Target continue to fight for market domination by offering ludicrously low prices on everything from clothing to electronics, to motor vehicles, to nutrition.

When small businesses become a victim of this cut throat competition, people lose their livelihoods and communities lose access to valuable resources.

So what is the solution for small business and how can they remain viable in these tough times?

If you’re the owner of a traditional bricks and mortar specialty store like a camera shop or a tool store chances are you are the only way to stay afloat is by cutting margins and expenses significantly.  But does this approach stack up in the medium to long term?  No way!

Business owners need to get back to offering value in the form of wonderful post-sale and pre-sale customer service, and offer great experiences and employ people who know what they’re doing – not someone who has no initiative, character or expertise.

Here are three of the things the big box stores don’t offer: uniqueness, expertise and customer service.

Personally I usually try to shop at small local businesses, because they are the backbone of a community and they are frequently more informed and useful than the big stores, where you are lucky if you can get any help at all!

Something else I have noticed: many small businesses don’t like to have a website.

These business owners are ignorant of the fact that Google loves small business and support them by placing them on top page of the search results provided they put the name of the city and relevant offerings on their web page.

This offers a very big advantage to small business owners. Besides this, small business owners can list their sites in local directories thru the local Chamber of Commerce, for instance, either for a small fee or for free .

Many small business owners are also convinced that starting and maintaining a domain will cost them a lot of money and is difficult.

Offering cheap website construction and upkeep for small local businesses has changed into a growing industry in itself.

It’s necessary for small business owners to have websites with the description of the product they are offering, their specialization, their location address, contact numbers, hours of operation and an e-mail address.

Besides this, the effective use of affiliate advertising on some sites and income-generating Google Adwords can turn out to be a bonus for the success of your small business.

Another strategy is to install an opt in form on your site and link that to an effective auto responder service.  The befit is that not only will you be collecting the contact details of site visitors who opt in, but you will be able to market to them via a series of targeted auto responders.

It is kind of hard for online businesses to market their products. There exist tough competition and hence they must use varied internet marketing ideas for small business and S.E.O technique, especially to build a customers list.

SEO works on the basis that the most popular, most relevant  sites get ranked.  Google looks at factors such as the site’s age, the quantity of backlinks the site has, the worth and relevancy of its content and the consistency in updating the internet site.

A business website must provide excellent client service, useful info and market itself as a unique brand like every other  high street business. All of these selling ideas for small business are simply about packing your business and its offering in an attractive way, then promoting effectively.

Online Business

Not everyone has money to get a business up and running.

The good news is that for the type of business I promote, you do not need a king’s ransom when compared to traditional bricks and mortar businesses.

Nevertheless some start up funds are ALWAYS going to be required.

On the assumption that your finances are tight, the question you will be asking is this: “where or how do I find money for my new venture?”

With that question in mind, here are some tips that will help:

1. Ask a Friend or Family Member. You never know your luck! Plug into the goodwill you already have with these folk.
2. Apply For a Loan. Go to your bank and apply for a personal loan (NOT a business loan)
3. Ask For Credit Limit Increase on Your Credit Card. This can be an easy way to fnd money.
4. Take On a Partner. Tell your potential partner you’ll pay him or her X % of your income for the firt 12 months.
5. Cut Your Overhead. Eliminate fast food, avoid restaurants, trim your grocery bill, shop for cheaper insurances, eliminate all luxuries and indulgences. Thats just for starters.
6. Sell Stuff. Hold a mega garage sale, and list your unwanted items (or even those you want, but don’t actually need) on eBay.
7. Get a Second Job. An extra few hundred dollars a week for a few months maybe all you’ll need.
8. Dump Deadbeats. This one is a bit ‘left field’, but if you surround yourself with losers who have a poverty mindset, they will drag you down to their level. Bit hard to focus on the job at hand when you have dream stealers like that in your life.
9. Study Rich People. Learn how successful entrepreneurs overcame the ‘no money’ problem, and take inspiration from their example.

Final point is this.

All entrepreneurs have this trait in common – they’re great at raising capital for their new venture.

Can you imagine someone like Steve Jobs giving up on his vision for Apple simply because he didn’t have enough money to do it? No way Jose. It would be inconceivable.

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If you’re like most people I talk to, you are totally confused. Let’s face it, there are a vast range of options.  So many online business proposals, so many claims and promises.  It becomes confusing and disorienting after a while.    There are many options to think about, with many of them offering big money.

However, here are some pointers that should enable you to determine what is right for you.  Read on………….

1. A Product You Like. A bit of a no brainer this one.  But it is important you like the product.  For instance, no point in contemplating joining a travel business, if you don’t like taking holidays!  Whatever you choose to do it must be something you have an interest in.  Or at least something you think you could grow to like!

2. A Company You Like. Whether you are thinking of buying a franchise or joining programs such as MLM, direct sales, or affiliate marketing; it is important to have an affinity with the company, its values, and its people.  (This may not be possible with affiliate programs – the only relationship you have is with an email auto responder!)  Do all the research that you need to do to give you a rational reason to join the business.

But don’t forget the intangibles, which are more to do with feelings and intuition.  The key is to get the balance right.  Some are far too emotional in their decision making, and seem to be bereft of any analytical ability.  On the other hand, super analytical people need to encourage the development of their own innate intuitive powers.

3. A Good Profit Margin. The other side of the coin is to do with the financial. I like making money.  Do you?    You’ll need a decent profit margin, otherwise all that time and effort you’re going to invest will not be reward handsomely.

4. Excellent Cash Flow Potential. A good profit margin is one thing, but cash flow is the other.  If you wait for months to make sales, you’ll need plenty of back up capital to stay afloat.  If you have a limited budget, look for something that offers both great margins AND excellent cash flow.  An ideal balance.

5. A Mentor to Support You. I got started as an internet marketer in 2006.  My early success was partly dependent on the help my original mentor gave me.  Your mentor should have these qualities:

-       Know What They’re Talking About. You don’t want to be mentored by a clueless fool!

-       Be Successful. If it’s a sales or marketing business you are looking at, your mentor should have some runs on the board.

-       Be Relatable. You need to connect with your mentor in a way that gives you confidence.  The right mentor will bring out the best in you.

So there you have it.  A few good pointers to help you make the right decision.

Here is my profile of an ideal business:

1. Potential to produce quick cash flow

2. Potential to produce long term ‘residual’ style income

3. Do-able for the average person

4. Great Training

5. One on One Mentoring support

6. People approach me wanting to do business with me

7. Start up capital as little as possible (I wanted to spend less than $5,000!)

8. A real product that people want and need

Once I had my profile I then instantly knew what I didn’t want:

- No MLM

- No Franchise

- No Sales calls

- No Meetings

Here’s a Reality Jolt – There Ain’t No Such Thing as an Ideal Business.

What I found was that not one business I looked at had all of these elements in place. So what I did was start with one company so I could generate Bucket Income (or Now Money). Then, once I was getting plenty of cash flow, I started building my longer term residual income base.

Today I get income from more than a dozen different sources. Nice.

Bucket or Drip Income?

You need both. Bucket Income or now money for your immediate needs. PLUS, Drip or residual income to give you long term financial security.

To generate Bucket Income or ‘now money’ you need a product that pays a big commission. There is no other way to do it.