Send Customers a Gift Certificate. Gift certificates are cheap to print, inexpensive to send through the mail, and always a delight to receive. Don’t give away the store, but make sure it’s of good and significant value. Include a letter of thanks for past business.

Write a Press Release. The most effective you can be in marketing is with a single sheet of paper. Yes, you’ve read that correctly: most effective with a single sheet of paper. Write a press release and send it. If you don’t know how to write a release, see the first chapter of my first book, How To Market a Product for Under $500, for almost 50 pages of explicit details on how to write a targeted, effective release designed to generate maximum response (from only your best prospects) and exactly how to submit it for the best possibility of getting it published. Also, reread the article “Getting Your Press Release into Print” in this book.

Send a Letter. The most effective direct marketing sales tool—and my personal favorite—is a letter. If you can send just one business letter a day, I guarantee you will increase your business. (If you can send two, so much the better.) And if you have a regular business or are fluent on the computer, make it a personal goal to send 5 business-building letters a day—25 a week—and your business will flourish and grow. Definitely.

Join an Association. Whether you join the Possum Hunter’s Club of North Jersey, The American Society of House Sitters, or the local Lion’s Club, mixing with a fraternal bunch of guys (or ladies) who share the same interests and problems is always a good move. Ask successful people how they market.

Co-op advertising space or direct mailings with other newcomers. Share ideas. Learn what works and, as importantly, what doesn’t. Learn about your industry from the trade association bulletins, magazines,newsletters, and offers that are sent to members.