Advertising

Advertising can be costly and any business advertising for the first time must consider carefully the most cost-effective method. A suitable budget should be built into the business plan and its use monitored carefully for effectiveness and control.

All businesses need to advertise in some way. Word of mouth is advertising despite the fact that it cannot be planned or controlled. Advertising is also about image. Businesses must decide what image they want to present - trendy, organised, slightly up-market and so on. The primary way of putting this across is through advertising.

There are many forms of advertising. However, there are two particularly common types for small businesses. One is print advertising, be it leaflet, poster, newspaper or magazine (and not forgetting the importance of business cards); the other is direct mail, though the same principles apply.