Marketing for small business has lots of challenges to it, and budget is the most important here. Yet, there are many factors at work such as the nature of your business, the market demand for your product or service, the type of advertising you follow, the necessity for long and short term investments and much more. Can a small business compete with the big guys? That is one tough question and the answer is not simple at all.

Some say that size does not matter in business, as a small business can easily target a niche and make great profit in a relatively short period of time. Marketing for small business is special from several points of view.

You need to target a local market, which requires good knowledge of customer behavior and customer needs.

Advertise by traditional and non-traditional means: use leaflets, business cards, catalogs, newspaper ads, banners and Internet advertising with everything that it involves.

You can even spread the word about your business using local radio stations. Make your message catchy and offer prizes, discounts, coupons or bonuses to the first clients who contact you.

When you try marketing for small business purposes at a local level, it is a lot easier to study competition. You can learn from competitors and improve marketing practices progressively.

There are many other methods of enticing customers on the one condition that you plan your activities carefully, and follow a good marketing plan. Without knowing where you are headed, it is difficult to follow the right business course. Marketing for small business objectives requires more than good management. If compared to corporate marketing, you have the freedom to make your own decisions, without having to ask for ten or twenty forms of approval; nevertheless, so much responsibility comes with that.

With marketing for small business purposes, there is much more to lose. While for a large company, poor marketing could be a simple waste of money, for a small business, it could mean ruin or bankruptcy. Before you launch in some major marketing investments, it is a good idea to create a list with the most cost-effective ways to develop your business.

There are many free or cheap business solutions that you can access on the one condition that you make a little research and start things the right way. Use the Internet extensively because it provides the cheapest forms of advertising. Moreover, don’t let any customer unexposed to your business message: every invoice, envelope, letter or voice-mail that you distribute should clearly state the name of the company.