The 5 Most Cost Effective Ways to Promote Your Small Business

Old school is still the best school when it comes to cost-effectively promoting a small business today.

According to Chris Mahlmann, CEO of Ideas in Motion Media, the most lasting and effectual ways to advertise yourself and your business are inextricably linked to connecting and engaging with customers.

"Being in small business really means being in the business of the simplest forms of communication," Mahlmann argues, cautioning upstart entrepreneurs to avoid feeling that they have to spend large sums of money to attract and retain customers.

"As a small business owner, the greatest investment you can make is your time, not your money," he advises, taking aim at what he considers to be the erroneous notion that modern small businesses should employ the same large-scale, automated, and mostly impersonal advertising techniques employed by much larger companies.

"The humblest ways are still the best ways," Mahlmann adds, suggesting that every email, phone call, and hand-shake with a single customer is equally as important and potentially effective as a newspaper ad or billboard display meant to reach thousands.

In a recent interview with the Intuit Small Business Blog, Chris Mahlmann shared what he considers to be the five most cost-effective ways to promote one's small business.