Reaching local small businesses.... how?

Say I wanted to reach all the small businesses in Dallas, Texas. What would be your approach? I like cheap, effective ideas. I've been retired for the past 10 years, update me on today's strategies.

 

Advertise on your car, door to door promotion, phone them. There is really lots of ways.

 

Then lets hear these "lots of ways". Door to door seems like the only option as I don't have a car that would work, I'm also home a lot working. Phoning only pisses them off. Now how do I cheaply and effectively go door to door as fast as possible? A good portion of small businesses are also home businesses, and that would be impossible.

 

Get the phone book and mail them. But this isnt cheap in the end.

 

So why mention it? lol. It's also unwise to use a phone book since you can get a mailing list pretty easy, but none of this is cheap. It also doesn't solve the home businesses problem. How do you reach those?

 

Well your issue is: you want something dirt cheap, don't want to make phone calls, don't want to mail them, don't want to try door to door, you need to say home. Get back on Earth.. only free way is word of mouth and this is not quick.
If you had a budget you could advertise in local journal/news, put some stickers everywhere, etc.

 

Now you're just putting words in my mouth, and that's not nice. I said cheap, not dirt cheap. I also said phone calls will only piss them off, and it does. Don't you hate people calling you to sell you something? I also never said I wouldn't try door to door, but that leaves out all the home businesses. Walking door to door with material to hand out is cheaper than mailing them, so I wont do direct mail. Still leaves out the home businesses. That's the ones I really to target.

Instead of putting words in my mouth, how about that question didn't answer. How do you reach those home businesses? Come on man, keep up with the rest of us.

 

One way is to get a bunch of pens printed with your logo and contact info. Take handfuls and drop them off everyplace that takes a credit card. Booze stores are usually pretty good because folks walk off with them and they circulate themeselves.

hope that helps a bit,
Nigel

 

Well most home based business should have an entry on 411. They need a way to communicate with their customers, also you could check on local news/journals advertising pages and contract them about your offers. Try to go to your City hall if they have a local business directory.

 

Facebook can be a way to reach other small businesses that are also on Facebook.

Also consider ordering a bunch of business cards to pin here and there. Door to door would be a great idea as others suggested. With business cards!

 

I've never heard of anyone using 411, especially home businesses. It's also impossible to use for anything like this. None of these things you suggest are remotely effective. I can get a directory right from google, but that doesn't find the home businesses.

 

LOL, this isn't effective either. I want to reach business owners only, and a lot of them at once. Cheap, and effective.

 

Faster to actually contact them through their website, if they have one. That still doesn't solve the problem of finding them all locally. Facebook isn't businessbook, and they don't make it easy to find anyone unless you know their name.

Door to door is ok for shops, still looking for something for the home businesses. That can't be done door to door.

 

Phone calls and door to door has to be the two hardest ways to reach people these days. People don't like to be bothered. I think handing out fliers might be okay, though. However, just setting up a page online and having people reach you that way will also help.

 

Having them reach us through our website isn't the goal, but getting them to know about it.

 

According to me one should have good knowledge and skill to start local business,first be strategic that how you have to start something to build up the business,because starting base will be the pillar of your business.

 

Why not join the Chamber of Commerce and meet the really solid small businesses who are active through events and mixers? Great networking. Also, see if Dallas has any kind of Small Business Association and become a member or ask them if you can speak at one of their luncheons, or networking events. Or find out if you can just attend them and get to know your market. Knowing your audience is really the best way to know how you can reach them. Do some serious analysis and "put yourself in their shoes".

 

This is a really cheap and cost effective way of getting local customers.

Buy email lists for my targeted desired customer.

InfoUSA.com: Can do specific searches (niche, location, quantity, price, etc.) Send emails with auto responders. Non-spam emails. You can use face book for “custom audiences”. You can “warm them up” on FB, and then email them. Check out social lead freak. These CTR are really cheap and super targeted.

Good luck!

 

The very best way to reach business people is through LinkedIn. It is free and you will get all the leads you ever need.

Kate

 

Hello,

The three thoughts that come to mind are:

1. Check in on local networking events from various business networking groups (eg. BNI, LBN).
2. The chamber of commerce have networking events too that will help you get in front of your prospects. Don't take me literally, but most Chamber (even those in major metro areas) members are small businesses.
3. Use LinkedIn, specifically the LinkedIn Groups that are focused on your geography to reach out, connect and meetup with local businesses.

Hope this helps.