B6 W e d n e s day, au g u s t 6 , 2 0 1 4 e d M O n t O n J O u R n a L e dm o n t o n j o u r n a l . c om

How can you advertise your business affordably?Entrepreneurs share tips for promoting a venture without breaking the bank

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Leila Gumpinger, owner of AWEAR Style Co. (awearstyle.ca), says she developed a refer-a-friend card to affordably promote her business to prospective customers. “The card displays our contact information along with a $25 gift towards a new client’s first purchase of $50 or more ... These cards are great to hand out at events or when you are out and about.”

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“If you have the opportunity to let someone experience your product or service for free, chances are they will want more of it. Don’t be afraid to share or offer someone a free trial, sample or advice. In today’s economy, people are more comfortable buying or signing up for something they have been able to experience first.”— Jey Arul, president of VR Business Brokers — vralta.com

“I don’t have a big advertising budget, so I like to get out and meet people in person, use social media, and find ways to promote my expertise within the community. I provide free or affordable short seminars to retail associations and other groups, and I make a point of visiting many independent retailers in person. I find that sharing information is a great way to help people and attract great customers.”— Melissa Mainville, owner and operator of Flourish Design & Merchandising — flourishdesign.ca

“Social media, specifically Facebook, is the best advertising platform for my company to reach its target audience. I haven’t spent any money on advertising, but by utilizing Facebook pages and Twitter, I have generated lots of word-of-mouth and referrals. Also, having everything direct back to my website and making it easy for clients to find information and contact me through the site has made the need to pay for advertising obsolete.”— Beverley Poong, founder of Belly Buttons — bellybuttons780.com

“I highly recommend you look at Facebook ads. For as little as $5 or $10 per day, you can get paid advertisements in front of the exact people you want to sell to. Facebook’s ad platform lets you target people not only by location, but by demographics and psychographics, such as likes and interests. When done right, they can generate a lot of quality leads for your business.”— Jeff Schneider, founder of Marketing Ninjas — marketingninjas.com

“Although it doesn’t work for some, I find that Facebook ads are an affordable advertising option because you can set your own daily spending limit. I found that the key is to make very specific, targeted ads in order to reach your true clientele and demographic. Other than that, word-of-mouth and referrals! Develop strong, positive relationships with supporters of your business … who will spread the word and refer customers to you, and for free!”— Lauren Willms, owner of Modern Sole — modernsole.ca

“A great way is to ensure your search engine optimization is finely tuned so you [rank high] for your relevant keywords. Another great avenue is to ensure you have client testimonials, and that they are recommending you to others. Finally, if you need to advertise in print, try and buy through an agency that gets volume discounts.”— Ashif Mawji, CEO of NPO Zero — npozero.com

“Create a product or service that’s worth talking about, and your customers will do the marketing for you. Businesses can no longer pay top dollar for an advertisement and be guaranteed results; consumers rely on word-of-mouth through peers or social media to tell them what’s worth paying for.”— Erin Mooney, co-founder of Made Urban — madeurban.com

“To be affordable, you need advertising to be as targeted as possible. Know who and where your target consumer or client is … because not knowing who to advertise to equals wasted dollars. In almost all cases, the most affordable and powerful advertising is referrals or recommendations ... Build an advocate base within your target market using coupons, samples, testimonials and so forth — it’s inexpensive, efficient, controlled and measurable.”— Darryl Moore, vice-president of marketing and communications at Executrade — executrade.com

“To ensure we reach our target market where they hang out, we use social media (it’s free). Another way we advertise is by sending email notifications to our list. One of our success secrets is to mix it up — some video, some content, some graphics — to ensure we appeal to all the senses.”— Pat Mussieux, founder of Wealthy Women Leaders — wealthywomenleaders.com

“We use two strategies: Strong social media presence, which leads to word-of-mouth advertising, and prestige introductions, where we approach potential customers we have researched, leave them with samples, and do an intentional follow up.”— Roslyn Bergen, owner and executive director of The Sweet Side Inc. — sweetside.ca

“I advertise my business affordably by utilizing … everyday things. I have my car wrapped with information, and whenever I pull out my phone you see my logo on the cover. But the best way to advertise your company is by building a crowd of raving fans.”— Dianna Bowes, founder and creative director of Fabulous@50 — fabulousat50.com

“Building personal relationships is key; this will build your reputation and prompt word-of-mouth advertising, which is your best form of advertising and the least expensive.”— Kelsey Bulmer, co-owner of Cerulean Boutique — ceruleanboutique.com

“For small business, I highly support live networking and online services like footrr.com — it’s effective and modest on the beginner’s budget.”— James Burgess, founder of The Everyday Community — theeverydaycommunity.com

“Get involved with your customers. Most companies have events they host or sponsor for employees, charities or their customers. Volunteer, help out and become part of their corporate culture. While there, let them know who you are and what you do.”— Bill Dowbiggin, strategic partner at Corporate Solutions Canada — corporatesolutionscanada.com

“They say that the best things in life are free, and the same goes for advertising. We’ve found that the best form of advertising is a happy customer, so we focus on providing the best we can in product quality and after-sales service. Positive word-of-mouth references from existing customers often carry far more weight than even the most elaborate of marketing programs, so that’s where we focus our attention.”— Anuj Gupta, president of Anu Homes — anuhomes.ca

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This week Wellington Holbrook, executive vice-president of ATB Business, is asking you to reflect on your entrepreneurial journey by answering the following question:

What have you learned about being your own boss?

You can answer the question in two ways:• If you’re a member, open today’s Capital Ideas email, or• Visit capitalideasedmonton.comWe’ll publish the best answers, along with your business

name and website address, on Aug. 13.

COMMUNITY QUESTION: What have you learned about being your own boss?

Network and LearnThe Business Link’s monthly mixerWhen: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Where: The Business Link (10160 103rd St.)Admission: Free. Details at canadabusiness.ab.ca

Roadmap For SuccessA business-plan writing workshop with Alberta Women EntrepreneursWhen: 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Where: Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (#308, 10310 Jasper Ave.)Admission: $49 to $69. Details at awebusiness.com

PARK Edmonton Artist and Designer ForumInformal sessions and workshops with experts from the creative industryWhen: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.Where: Startup Edmonton (10359 104th St.)Admission: $40. Learn more at ourparkonline.com

TEC Edmonton Venture Angels BootcampIntroduction for startups to investment and the investment communityWhere: TEC Edmonton (4th floor, 10230 Jasper Ave.)Admission: $600 per company. Learn more at tecedmonton.com

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E-TownA festival for the entrepreneurially mindedWhere: Shaw Conference Centre (9797Jasper Ave.)Admission: $49 to $399. Details at e-town.ca.

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These answers were in response to a question posed by Capital Ideas member Elaine Parker, CEO of

Analysis360 (analysis360.com). Visit capitalideasedmonton.com/ask to submit

your business questions.