Marketing Basics for New Businesses

Question: What is the bare necessity I need to start marketing my new business?

Answer: Before you do anything in the way of marketing or selling, have a business plan with a marketing sub-plan in place. Remember it is living document that must be adjusted as you move through time.

• Acquire a domain name, godaddy.com and create a website. You can use a simple WordPress template for the website, which is free. It is easy to learn and easy to use.
• Set up a professional email account [email protected], not aol.com, yahoo.com or gmail.com. Use Go-Daddy and buy a domain name (approx. $12.00 per year) and locate a reputable web/email hosting site, like
• Have a logo designed. Use a local reputable graphic designer who knows how to listen to you about the values your brand represents to create the visual image of those values.
• Get some business cards. Professionally printed, not one off your office computer and printer. VistaPrint vistaprint.com or MooPrinting www.moo.com are two good and reasonable sources. Use your logo as part of the business card.

You don’t need printed stationary or sell sheets since they can be generated via your computer transformed into .pdf’s and sent as attachments to prospective customers. Use the graphic elements you have created for your logo, website and business cards for your sell sheets.

If you are going to a trade show have some of your sell sheets printed on high-quality paper, but just enough so you don’t have to bring any home with you.

Source: Mark Collins, SCORE Orange County, CA

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