ForumsStarting a Business

Start-up advice, Welcome Brian

Do you know about SCORE?? SCORE is FREE and can help.

I also like the idea of a press release as "MyCapital" mentioned. If you do something for charity, your local newspaper might run the press release which is FREE publicity.

I personally sponsored a local little league baseball team. Not only were the kids wearing my logo on their shirts all summer long, but the newspaper ran a story about my company.

Good luck, LUCKIEST

Brian....you have a great web site, it is clear as to what you
do and the excellent work you produce.

I have two suggestions...

First, keep your eye open for
Small Business Contests. For example Office Depot Small
Business Contest, Yahoo Small Business Contest (starts
again Oct.4th), and so on. Only enter in the ones you
know are rep. companies. Prizes run from prize money,
marketing, etc. best of all it also gives you exposure with
a great write up and perhaps a investor will take notice.

Second, start looking to others to invest their time in your
vision. Another word, you can not any longer do it alone.
Take if from me I did the same and almost lost having a
successful business not to mention my health.
If you are near a college talk to the graphic arts
department about sending you students (Interns) and have
them fill in your gaps so you can work out your ideas. You
will have to fill out paperwork (work performance forms) on
them but they have the drive to learn and they understand
your field. Perhaps some may even open your second
location in their home town state! Ask your family and
friends to assist you until Dec. 1st. this will give you time
to come up for air, regroup and this time frame will not
be overwhelming to the family and friends and understandable.
Talk to them as you did us and see if any
part of what you need help with they can do (bet your
Mom or other could help doing the invoices and billing).

Third: Use your age to your advantage!!!! Contact magazine
publishers (ask Dad or other to assist you with this),all the
morning talk shows, etc. let them know "in today's economy,
I am not letting this stop me I am a 21 year old juggling
school while spending every waking minute on a
business". When they contact you mention in the
interview you are ready to grow and you will soon
be looking for CAPITOL (do not mention you already have).
The right person will notice and contact you. Another
option, start thinking out-of-the box...do you know someone
you can approach and ask them to invest in your company.
They get to write-off there investment, you give them
a percentage of profit and pay back the balance or offer
them a percentage of the company for their investment.
Making them the silent money investor while your the
brains. Perhaps you can talk to a successful local
auto dealer, or someone within your industry, even family
or friend.

Always remember...go through the walls, around the curves,
over the hurtles and know when to take the forks in the road.
This will lead you to success.

My Best to you. Hope this helped.

Hi Brian,

It's refreshing to hear your story and how far you've come, only to realize the brick wall in front of you. May I suggest you join your local Chamber of Commerce? Attend 6 months worth of the mixers, and be sure to bring along a short version of your portfolio. I can nearly guarantee you'll find some business there. From as small as designing a business card to perhaps as large as coordinating the branding image of a company.

Are you leveraging social networking? What a great way to show off your portfolio to many people. Make a direct appeal to each and every person in your online social network to share your portfolio with their own network, asking if anyone is in need of your (cheap at first) services. Create a facebook group that is by you, but about your company. Ask your friends to become fans of your "group". Your group page can be littered with your portfolio.

Stop by all the coffee shops in your area, there's usually a bunch of business cards laying around. Jot down all the cards details you can. Email each one to introduce yourself, make sure you let 'em know you saw their card at "XX" coffee shop. Offer to direct them to your web page / social networking site. Make a direct call to action - let them know you're immediately available for their projects.

Feel free to contact me for more advice on how to cheaply get your ideas out to market.

Kind Regards,
Steve Ontiveros
Resource Business Partners, Inc.
wefactor.com

As far as funding your website promotion you should use free methods. Create articles put them on your website and submit them to free article directories. Go to message forums where your services are relevant and reply to posts. Where appropriate place your link to allow people find out more information about your company.

Find out more tips about web traffic generation and how to "pre-sell" your products at my website http://www.theeasyincomepro.com