CNNMoney.com
Companies Economy International Corrections Pre-market Trading After-hours Trading Winners/Losers/Actives Bonds Currencies Commodities World Markets Money Magazine Real Estate Taxes Jobs Ask the Expert Money 101 Autos Mutual Funds The Help Desk Loan Center Best Places to Live Ask the Expert Ultimate Guide to Retirement Retirement Calculators Best Funds Best Places to Retire Fortune Brainstorm Tech Apple 2.0 Blog Big Tech Blog Sectors and Stocks Tech Talk Resource Guide Small Business Makeovers Questions & Answers Small Business Video 100 Best Places to Launch FSB 100 Fortune Small Business Fortune 500 Brainstorm Tech Investing Management C-Suite Rankings Main Create Portfolio Edit Portfolio Create Alerts Edit Alerts
FORTUNE Small Business:

Jump-start your marketing

A new retailer needs to spread the word it's open for business. Ask FSB's experts weigh in with marketing tips.

Subscribe to Top Stories
google my aol my msn my yahoo! netvibes
Paste this link into your favorite RSS desktop reader
See all CNNMoney.com RSS FEEDS (close)

retail_cash_register.03.jpg
Ask FSB
Get small-business intelligence from the experts. Here's a chance for YOU to ask your pressing small-business questions, and FSB editors will help you get answers from the appropriate experts.
Your name:
* Your e-mail address:
* Your city:
* Your state:
* Your daytime phone #:
* Your questions:

(FORTUNE Small Business) -- Dear FSB: My business opened two months ago, I'm worried that I'm not getting the word out fast enough. What is the fastest way to get the word out that I'm here and now open?

- Rhonda Bernard, Roni's Lingerie, Redding, Calif.

Dear Rhonda: If you're challenged by cash flow, you'll need to get the word out quickly. Neil Schaffer, CEO of Princeton, N.J.-based Longview Consulting Group, recommends that you concentrate on differentiation. In Redding and the surrounding area, you have your fair share of competition with Victoria's Secret (LTD, Fortune 500) and other lingerie boutiques.

"Without the funds for a mass-market advertising campaign, take a hard look at your product line, pricing and service. What can you offer that your competitors can't?" Schaffer says. "Once you find your edge, figure out your target market and increase awareness through direct and guerilla marketing."

Lois Geller of Mason & Geller Direct Marketing in Hollywood, Fla., suggests evaluating your signage and window displays so that passersby will be drawn in. She also recommends guerilla marketing techniques. "Design promotions such as '10 percent off the first purchase' or a gift when a certain amount is spent in one visit," she suggests.

Schaffer suggests going to shoe and clothing boutiques, where potential customers are already shopping. Negotiate offers with the owners of those stores to swap coupons to put on checkout counters.

Still no luck? Schaffer recommends organizing Tupperware parties or a fashion show.

"If there's a university nearby, get students involved," he says. "Use them as both your models and your audience. Post ads around the campus. Even if only a small number shows up, you know that plenty more know about it - and awareness is the key to bringing in new customers."

For more information, check out our October 2006 story, "Taking on Victoria's Secret," and the update on that story in July 2007. To top of page

Post your best rogue marketing tips

How do you market your business? Share your tips.
Photo Galleries
Holiday gifts for the yoga nut These 7 small brands are helping fuel a booming yoga industry. More
Best of the L.A. Auto Show Fuel economy is the name of the game in Southern California. More
Are things really getting better? Last quarter, the economy grew by the largest amount since the summer of 2007, but there are signs that things are still getting worse. More
Sponsors
© 2009 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2009 BigCharts.com Inc. All rights reserved. Please see our Terms of Use.
MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc.
Intraday data provided by Interactive Data Real-Time Services and subject to the Terms of Use.
Intraday data is at least 20-minutes delayed. All times are ET.
Historical, current end-of-day data, and splits data provided by Interactive Data Pricing and Reference Data.
Fundamental data provided by Morningstar, Inc..
SEC Filings data provided by Edgar Online Inc..
Earnings data provided by FactSet CallStreet, LLC.