Editorials
Consider what makes you interesting/different and any relevant and current news stories you may have. Contact publications and online magazines and offer to provide free editorials on topics which could be of interest to their readers. We didn’t think we were particularly interesting to start with but when you write things down it’s surprising how much you have to offer!
Make the most of free business seminars
The Eventbrite app is fantastic. It shows you all free seminars in your local area. I have attended free business seminars on Social Media and Business Growth so far. Both of which have given me a deeper understanding of what to focus my time on and how best to use the time I have.
Take the time to enter business awards
We didn’t expect to win any and we came away as winners in two categories with a commendation in the category of New Business of the Year! We now advertise ourselves as “award winning”. It adds another level of legitimacy to the service we provide.
Look for productive free apps to download
There are so many incredible apps out there which solve a problem for free without you having to spend your own time creating bespoke systems. Decide what you need and search Google for the best free app. We were having trouble keeping track of our business expenses and mileage. We found QuickBooks Self-Employed was a great solution and allows you to deal with expenses out of office hours saving you valuable time.
Make the most of your existing contacts
Ask your accountant for some advice? Have a free hour with a business coach? Go to networking events? If you are already paying for services or suppliers, could you get more from them which will benefit you both? We recently attended the Legal Aid Agency to find out how they want to see our work drafted. We have tailored our service to their expectations to save both us and them, time. This will also help reduce rejection rates further for our legal aid clients so it’s a win win and all it took was our time.
Ask questions and learn as much as you can about other businesses and what makes them successful.
Every encounter with another business usually gives me at least one idea to implement in my own business. It’s also incredibly interesting.
Make the most of free blogs and notice boards within your industry
We had a new client come to us because she saw we were advertising for three new Law Costs Drafting positions. Within the job description we had written that we were only looking for people who provided a high standard of work. She thought “that’s the kind of firm I want to work with”. The jobs were posted for free on website Family Law Weekly.
Offer your time free of charge to your target client/customer.
We have offered free seminars and when you get in front of people and talk passionately about what you do, it tends to inspire people to start sending us work. We make it clear we are approachable at any time and nothing is too much trouble. It helps you maintain a good relationship with that client thereafter so they will come to you to fix any issues they may have experienced. Prepare one seminar and offer it to your preferred client and then roll it out.
Use your blog
Every time you provide some advice, change a policy/system, come up against a situation you haven’t experienced before, use that knowledge and turn it in to a blog article. You have already done the work, so shout about it. If you don’t currently have a blog on your website you can create one at Blogger.com for free. Don’t forget to tag it with keywords too.
Link your business social media accounts
This way you will only have to upload new posts once. Everything we share on Twitter automatically shows on Facebook. It takes less time and generates more exposure.
