There are many ways to advertise your business. There's the expensive methods such as radio, television, direct mail, and print. The inexpensive ones such as as the Internet, flyers, business cards, and email. The point is that any business owner, either home business or traditional businesses, live on advertising.

Why don't you advertise enough? Most would reply because I don't have enough money in my budget to advertise. Maybe you're not sure what type of advertising to spend your money on. These are both valid points but there are alternatives to advertising and I would like to suggest a few. With the best thing being they are cheap.

- Print advertising

Traditional print advertising like newspapers or magazines can be very expensive. If you're like me, where you live there are a number of cummunity newspapers, most of these papers are free newspapers meaning you just pick them up in supermarket entrances or you favorite stores for free. These papers are very popular and are very economical, sometimes a 1/4 the price of traditional print media advertising. Check out your supermarket entraces and see what's out there. If you can't find any look up AFCP on the web, which is a free community paper organization, they have a listing of free papers around the US. With the cheaper price you can run your ad longer creating familiarity and credibility. You don't want people to think you are a fly by nighter.

- Radio

Radio and television can be very expensive but you can get bargins by running at off-peak times, like overnight. Check out your local cable television stations, ours has a ticker at the bottom of the local weather station which is very economical.

- Business cards.

You can post business cards in many places for free, like restaurants, supermarket post boards, post offices, libraries, schools. People do read them, I own a restaurant and I see people looking at the ones posted on our post board. Cards are pretty inexpensive but I have seen free ones available online just searc on Free Business Cards. They add their own advertising on the back, but hey they're free!

- Flyers

Print your own and use the above mentioned spaces that have post boards. Please do not put them on car windshields or telephone poles, that can be annoying for customers and illegal in some cities and towns.

- Your imagination

Think outside the box, good things don't have to cost money. Use your mouth, tell friends or strangers if you have to, spread the word then back it up. No matter how you do it just advertise.