Marketing need not be extensive

A marketing campaign might seem like a luxury to many small business owners who don’t have budgets for consultants or publicists. But marketing can be relatively simple and inexpensive for many small companies.
Your first step, according to marketing consultant Barbara Findlay Schenck, is to determine to whom do you need to market — are you looking for a specific number of clients, for example? If so, maybe you don’t need a marketing campaign; maybe you just need to do some networking at chamber of commerce or other events.

"Focus on what you’re trying to accomplish and everything else gets more affordable and efficient," said Schenck, author of "Small Business Marketing for Dummies."

There are many avenues of marketing available — including advertising and seeking publicity in the media — but to save money, you need to be sure you’re using methods appropriate for your business and goals. Schenck noted that it makes no sense to use the Internet if your prospective customers are likely to be computer-illiterate.

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG
AP business writer

Full Story: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2005/04/11/business/bus03.txt