[efiebke]

Probably, by now, you know that my business is entertainment related. One can spend a lot of money promoting/advertising/getting the word out with regards to your business.

Throughout the years, my particular business has spent thousands of dollars on magazine ads, those index card sized mail promotions, and the internet. It seems like magazine ads can become a money trap; each ad can cost a few thousand dollars for just one month! Our business has done well with those index card sized mail promotions. Again, though, it costs thousands of dollars to do a mailing. . . money we don't have right now. Heck, a while back I even considered advertising on "Allnurses.com". . . again, don't have the upfront $$$$.

(FYI, Brian does have the NurseLink Banner Exchange which has been helpful! I certainly utilize it!)

For now, our biggest & cheapest ways of promoting ourselves is through our web site and by word of mouth. We get a fair amount of "hits" on our web site. Also, as we do each live performance, we generally get one or two gigs in return.

What do you do for advertisement? Magazines (RN, AJN, etc)?? Newspapers (for more local exposure)?? Web site?? Radio?? Television?? Mail promotions???

Do you have a budget for advertising? If so, do you mind sharing what percentage goes to advertising?? What's a realistic percentage of one's gross income should one expect to spend on advertising?

Any "out of the box" suggestions with regards to promotion???

Please feel free to share your success and struggle stories!

Thank you ahead of time.

Warm regards to you all.

Ted

[nightingale]

Well Ted:

I hope we here from folks about this.

I for one am just calling facilities and Agencies that are in the area I wish to work in. When I get more established, I plan to "volounteer" at a senior center to feel out the market and ease into charging a samll fee in hope of getting my name out there in the community.

It would be great to capitalize on some free advertsing in some way. I know that DelphiForums allows businesses to tag advertising onto their signatures. It might be interesting to search through their website and see what they can offer. I pay like $ 12 for a 3 month membership.

[Agnus]

One thing I indend to do is volunteer BEFORE I become estblished in my business. I have previously volunteered services and am quite well know in my community which helps. I just need to let folks know I am available.

I will probably do a press release. (We are doing this for the car lot.)

I am considering doing a column or a series of articles in a local paper if they will have me.

I will also contact local physicians, senior centers, new baby centers, etc and let them know what I am up to.

Contact the nursing schools, network with community leaders via chamber of commerce, I contacated Kiwanais to help me set up a club. Tell everyone I see. Just do a lot of self promoting and pass out a lot of bus. cards.
one thing I am discovering is people get exctied about a new business. Everyone WANTS you to suceed. Consequently the guy across the street who is disabled spends his time searching out ads that he knows will be helpful to my hubby in the car business. Frankly we never knew this person before but now he calls every day with some valuable information about a car for sale or some other thing that he knows would be valuable to us.
Tell everyone the world wants to to do good in your business. Your friends and neighbors and clients will promote you.

We have spent money only on signs and a few car pennents and refused to buy expensive ads yet we are selling cars. The signs are not very good and it doesn't matter.

[nightingale]

That is a great feedback Agnus.

I remember you posting on another post about setting up a corp. in NV. Is there a reference I can go to other then what is on the web? I am interested in checking this out for NV and having an agent as the state rep.

[NRSKarenRN]

Get yourself a magnetic sign for you vehicle--one for each side. FREE ADVERTISING around your town! Can take it off when want!