and send them a note and one of your cards. You may want to follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and your business. Ask at the chamber when the next networking function will be held (you can go for FREE or for a small fee). Go and meet new people. Have a goal to pass out and collect 10 to 20 cards. Walk up to someone who looks interesting, and ask that person what they do? People love to talk about them selves. Make sure you listen and ask questions. Ask for their card and take notes on the back of it (write something they told you about themselves and the name of the function). Most often they will ask about you. Give them a card, if they ask for it. Ask them if they belong to any networking groups in the area, express and interest that you would like to attend. When you get home, write them a thank you note. Include where you met them, and something personal from the information that you put on the back of the card (perhaps they mentioned a pet or something about their children). Hand written notes are rare, write this note by hand. Put a couple of business cards in the note and ask them to please pass them Finding new customers has to be the most difficult thing when starting a home based business or for an existing business. After you have gone through all your relatives, and begged your friends to host a party or an open house, where do you turn? This is the time when most home based businesses fail. How do you change this destiny? Where do you look and where can you find customers for your business?

There are literally hundreds of home based businesses and thousands of people thinking that they are going to be the ones that make it. Most home based business owners are forgetting one little thing, they need customers to succeed. Finding customers is pretty much the same no matter what business you may have. This is going to take some hard work, but the payoff will be well worth it. I like to look at it as if I just moved into a new house, in a new neighborhood, in a new city. No relatives are close, the neighbors are strangers. You feel absolutely alone. Got the picture? Start with a clean slate.

After you get though reading this, you will be on the road to as many new customers as you can handle. You will have the resources to find and meet and acquire hundreds of new customers. You will start a list of customers and discover new places to find them that you never even knew existed. We are going to go over ideas that you can use tonight, tomorrow and in the future. Are you ready to start? Get a pencil and start taking notes; your brain is going to amaze you. Be prepared to work.

Imagine you are in a new city, in a new house and have a new business. What is the first thing you need to do? Go get some business cards printed. This is the least expensive form of advertising you can have and vital to any business. Each card is like a little ad just for you. Your cards should be dynamic! Don’t go with just plain white with black ink to save money. Choose or design a “WOW” card. Design a card that you would keep if it was handed to you. Have your name, phone and email on the card. Don’t over complicate it. Have a photo of what you do on the card, put a coupon on the back, or offer a “FREE” what ever it may be. Make your card one that someone will want to keep. Order at least a 1,000 cards, the price is better. Give a card to everyone that you hand money to, grocery clerk, dry cleaner, fast food clerk, and etc. Put a card in every bill that you pay. Go to every car wash, grocery store, health club, apartment building, day care center, and local bed and breakfasts, quilting shops, scrap booking stores, craft shops and so on, and leave cards on the bulletin boards. Go to beauty shops and barber shops and ask if you can leave your cards.

Set up drawings for a gift basket of your products. Leave these at as many businesses as you can. Choose locations and stores where you know there will be a lot of traffic and your items will be safe. You would be surprised how many boxes get taken just for the information that is inside of them. To set this drawing up, take a photo of what you are giving a way, put it in a frame. This is less likely to get stolen then having the actual product displayed. Make up an attractive box to put the sign up slips in. Sign up slips should be printed with a space for name, phone and email, so that you can contact everyone even if they didn’t win. Run this contest for about 2 weeks, and then move the boxes to a new location or store. Call everyone who has entered and offer them a consolation prize, this is a great reason to give them a call. If they are not receptive, ask for a referral. Let them know you are new and starting out, they will want to help, just human nature. Thank them for their time. Place these boxes any and everywhere you can. Ask permission first. Did I day this was going to be easy? To be successful you are going to have to put some effort into this.

Do you have an elevator speech? This should be short and to the point. For example; I am a cloth baby doll designer. This is my quick speech; “I teach people how to make babies. I work with beginner and advanced students. I design soft sculpture dolls.” This is just enough to peak their interest without boring them. They will ask me for more information. Get the picture? Try this until you find something that is easy to say and says what you do, all the while holding the listeners interest.

Now down to the name gathering. Go to your local chamber office. They usually have a board full of business cards from people who are members. Take one of each card and send them a note and one of your cards. You may want to follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and your business. Ask at the chamber when the next networking function will be held (you can go for FREE or for a small fee). Go and meet new people. Have a goal to pass out and collect 10 to 20 cards. Walk up to someone who looks interesting, and ask that person what they do? People love to talk about them selves. Make sure you listen and ask questions. Ask for their card and take notes on the back of it (write something they told you about themselves and the name of the function). Most often they will ask about you. Give them a card, if they ask for it. Ask them if they belong to any networking groups in the area, express and interest that you would like to attend. When you get home, write them a thank you note. Include where you met them, and something personal from the information that you put on the back of the card (perhaps they mentioned a pet or something about their children). Hand written notes are rare, write this note by hand. Put a couple of business cards in the note and ask them to please pass them

ve the resources to find and meet and acquire hundreds of new customers. You will start a list of customers and discover new places to find them that you never even knew existed. We are going to go over ideas that you can use tonight, tomorrow and in the future. Are you ready to start? Get a pencil and start taking notes; your brain is going to amaze you. Be prepared to work.

Imagine you are in a new city, in a new house and have a new business. What is the first thing you need to do? Go get some business cards printed. This is the least expensive form of advertising you can have and vital to any business. Each card is like a little ad just for you. Your cards should be dynamic! Don’t go with just plain white with black ink to save money. Choose or design a “WOW” card. Design a card that you would keep if it was handed to you. Have your name, phone and email on the card. Don’t over complicate it. Have a photo of what you do on the card, put a coupon on the back, or offer a “FREE” what ever it may be. Make your card one that someone will want to keep. Order at least a 1,000 cards, the price is better. Give a card to everyone that you hand money to, grocery clerk, dry cleaner, fast food clerk, and etc. Put a card in every bill that you pay. Go to every car wash, grocery store, health club, apartment building, day care center, and local bed and breakfasts, quilting shops, scrap booking stores, craft shops and so on, and leave cards on the bulletin boards. Go to beauty shops and barber shops and ask if you can leave your cards.

Set up drawings for a gift basket of your products. Leave these at as many businesses as you can. Choose locations and stores where you know there will be a lot of traffic and your items will be safe. You would be surprised how many boxes get taken just for the information that is inside of them. To set this drawing up, take a photo of what you are giving a way, put it in a frame. This is less likely to get stolen then having the actual product displayed. Make up an attractive box to put the sign up slips in. Sign up slips should be printed with a space for name, phone and email, so that you can contact everyone even if they didn’t win. Run this contest for about 2 weeks, and then move the boxes to a new location or store. Call everyone who has entered and offer them a consolation prize, this is a great reason to give them a call. If they are not receptive, ask for a referral. Let them know you are new and starting out, they will want to help, just human nature. Thank them for their time. Place these boxes any and everywhere you can. Ask permission first. Did I day this was going to be easy? To be successful you are going to have to put some effort into this.

Do you have an elevator speech? This should be short and to the point. For example; I am a cloth baby doll designer. This is my quick speech; “I teach people how to make babies. I work with beginner and advanced students. I design soft sculpture dolls.” This is just enough to peak their interest without boring them. They will ask me for more information. Get the picture? Try this until you find something that is easy to say and says what you do, all the while holding the listeners interest.

Now down to the name gathering. Go to your local chamber office. They usually have a board full of business cards from people who are members. Take one of each card and send them a note and one of your cards. You may want to follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and your business. Ask at the chamber when the next networking function will be held (you can go for FREE or for a small fee). Go and meet new people. Have a goal to pass out and collect 10 to 20 cards. Walk up to someone who looks interesting, and ask that person what they do? People love to talk about them selves. Make sure you listen and ask questions. Ask for their card and take notes on the back of it (write something they told you about themselves and the name of the function). Most often they will ask about you. Give them a card, if they ask for it. Ask them if they belong to any networking groups in the area, express and interest that you would like to attend. When you get home, write them a thank you note. Include where you met them, and something personal from the information that you put on the back of the card (perhaps they mentioned a pet or something about their children). Hand written notes are rare, write this note by hand. Put a couple of business cards in the note and ask them to please pass them

to everyone that you hand money to, grocery clerk, dry cleaner, fast food clerk, and etc. Put a card in every bill that you pay. Go to every car wash, grocery store, health club, apartment building, day care center, and local bed and breakfasts, quilting shops, scrap booking stores, craft shops and so on, and leave cards on the bulletin boards. Go to beauty shops and barber shops and ask if you can leave your cards.

Set up drawings for a gift basket of your products. Leave these at as many businesses as you can. Choose locations and stores where you know there will be a lot of traffic and your items will be safe. You would be surprised how many boxes get taken just for the information that is inside of them. To set this drawing up, take a photo of what you are giving a way, put it in a frame. This is less likely to get stolen then having the actual product displayed. Make up an attractive box to put the sign up slips in. Sign up slips should be printed with a space for name, phone and email, so that you can contact everyone even if they didn’t win. Run this contest for about 2 weeks, and then move the boxes to a new location or store. Call everyone who has entered and offer them a consolation prize, this is a great reason to give them a call. If they are not receptive, ask for a referral. Let them know you are new and starting out, they will want to help, just human nature. Thank them for their time. Place these boxes any and everywhere you can. Ask permission first. Did I day this was going to be easy? To be successful you are going to have to put some effort into this.

Do you have an elevator speech? This should be short and to the point. For example; I am a cloth baby doll designer. This is my quick speech; “I teach people how to make babies. I work with beginner and advanced students. I design soft sculpture dolls.” This is just enough to peak their interest without boring them. They will ask me for more information. Get the picture? Try this until you find something that is easy to say and says what you do, all the while holding the listeners interest.

Now down to the name gathering. Go to your local chamber office. They usually have a board full of business cards from people who are members. Take one of each card and send them a note and one of your cards. You may want to follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and your business. Ask at the chamber when the next networking function will be held (you can go for FREE or for a small fee). Go and meet new people. Have a goal to pass out and collect 10 to 20 cards. Walk up to someone who looks interesting, and ask that person what they do? People love to talk about them selves. Make sure you listen and ask questions. Ask for their card and take notes on the back of it (write something they told you about themselves and the name of the function). Most often they will ask about you. Give them a card, if they ask for it. Ask them if they belong to any networking groups in the area, express and interest that you would like to attend. When you get home, write them a thank you note. Include where you met them, and something personal from the information that you put on the back of the card (perhaps they mentioned a pet or something about their children). Hand written notes are rare, write this note by hand. Put a couple of business cards in the note and ask them to please pass them

ation or store. Call everyone who has entered and offer them a consolation prize, this is a great reason to give them a call. If they are not receptive, ask for a referral. Let them know you are new and starting out, they will want to help, just human nature. Thank them for their time. Place these boxes any and everywhere you can. Ask permission first. Did I day this was going to be easy? To be successful you are going to have to put some effort into this.

Do you have an elevator speech? This should be short and to the point. For example; I am a cloth baby doll designer. This is my quick speech; “I teach people how to make babies. I work with beginner and advanced students. I design soft sculpture dolls.” This is just enough to peak their interest without boring them. They will ask me for more information. Get the picture? Try this until you find something that is easy to say and says what you do, all the while holding the listeners interest.

Now down to the name gathering. Go to your local chamber office. They usually have a board full of business cards from people who are members. Take one of each card and send them a note and one of your cards. You may want to follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and your business. Ask at the chamber when the next networking function will be held (you can go for FREE or for a small fee). Go and meet new people. Have a goal to pass out and collect 10 to 20 cards. Walk up to someone who looks interesting, and ask that person what they do? People love to talk about them selves. Make sure you listen and ask questions. Ask for their card and take notes on the back of it (write something they told you about themselves and the name of the function). Most often they will ask about you. Give them a card, if they ask for it. Ask them if they belong to any networking groups in the area, express and interest that you would like to attend. When you get home, write them a thank you note. Include where you met them, and something personal from the information that you put on the back of the card (perhaps they mentioned a pet or something about their children). Hand written notes are rare, write this note by hand. Put a couple of business cards in the note and ask them to please pass them

and send them a note and one of your cards. You may want to follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself and your business. Ask at the chamber when the next networking function will be held (you can go for FREE or for a small fee). Go and meet new people. Have a goal to pass out and collect 10 to 20 cards. Walk up to someone who looks interesting, and ask that person what they do? People love to talk about them selves. Make sure you listen and ask questions. Ask for their card and take notes on the back of it (write something they told you about themselves and the name of the function). Most often they will ask about you. Give them a card, if they ask for it. Ask them if they belong to any networking groups in the area, express and interest that you would like to attend. When you get home, write them a thank you note. Include where you met them, and something personal from the information that you put on the back of the card (perhaps they mentioned a pet or something about their children). Hand written notes are rare, write this note by hand. Put a couple of business cards in the note and ask them to please pass them on to their friends, include the promise of a gift for referring you. Put their information in your data base (excel spread sheet). Are you getting the picture here? Invite them to lunch or offer to meet them for coffee, just to learn more about their business. You may need to follow up with a phone call in a few days to invite them for lunch or coffee. People do business with people they know.

Go on the internet or the newspaper and look up networking groups. Find some you would like to attend. You can usually go twice without joining. Some groups cost to join and others are FREE. You could attend a different group every day of the week. Go to as many as possible. You may actually want to join a group. When you are asked to introduce yourself, keep it short just as we talked about earlier. No one wants to hear you drone on and on. Make it funny and interesting, remember? Another example from a chiropractor, “If you are knotty, I would love to get my hands on you. I am a chiropractor and would love to offer you a FREE evaluation.” YOU want to be REMEMBERED! Think of what you do and how you can cleverly say it. Collect cards from these groups and start writing your thank you and asking for referrals. Remember to offer them something special for referring you. You have just started your sales force working for you. When you have other people handing out your business cards, you have them actually working for you! Make sure that you try to use what they offer as well. Follow up with phone calls to invite them to coffee or lunch.

Find out who your nearest Mary Kay, Avon, Pampered Chef, etc. representatives are. Call them to set up a meeting with these ideas in mind. (They are looking for more contacts also.) Suggest that you combine with them to host an open house. Network with other home based business owners. Here is an idea! Partner with 3 to 5 home based businesses. You can find them on the internet, under the name of the company they are associated with. Meet together and set up a schedule for parties. For example, you have a party at your home and they all attend and bring two friends. You have just added 6 to 10 new names to your list of contacts. Another home based business owner sets up a party about a month later, and you attend with two of your friends. Each person that you have meet, knows about 200 people, and those people each know another 200 people. See how this can grow. Ask more home based business owners to join, keeping just one of each category in the group. You may need to start more groups.

Join a church. This is always a good place to meet people when you are new in town. Make sure you become active in the church so that you have the opportunity to meet other women. If you already attend a church, get more active and meet some people. I often times speak to women’s groups that are church based talking about what I do. See if there is an opportunity for you.

Partner with a charity. Find a charity and offer to donate or help out. You will find many people who are volunteers and will become potential customers. When people get to know you, they will want to do business with you. Offer what you have as a door prize to as many organizations and charities as possible.

Find out about any bazaars or craft shows or boutiques in your area. Take what you have (if allowed) and show, demonstrate or sell what you offer. Always have a give away or two that potential customers can win. Have sign up slips as before. Collect the names and call everyone to offer them a consolation prize and ask for a referral. Always offer a gift for three referrals. You will be amazed how people will offer up their friend’s information for a FREE gift.

Are you ready for more brain storming? So you are not new in the area, you have been in the same house forever, and you have lived in the same town. Did you realize you know over 200 people? Get a small notebook. Write down categories for people groups. You will list just 5 names under each category. This is just to get you started. Keep this notebook handy and add to it, whenever a name pops up. Some categories ideas; your friends, your husband’s friends (wives), your neighbors, your cousins, your co-workers, your husband’s co-workers, your children’s friends’ parents, and so on. If you would like a complete brain storming category list, just email me.

As you can see, you know a lot of people and if you don’t it is easy to get to know lots of people. I didn’t say that this was going to