Auctions and newspaper classifieds are other good sources of used equipment. Save up to 60 percent by buying used computer equipment, copiers and office furniture from stores such as the nationwide Aaron Rents & Sells chain. Another tip: If you haven't found what you're looking for through or our software guide, check out the manufacturer's site. Visit to try hundreds of software products for free through trial downloads, freeware and limited versions of the full product. Our free forms on Formnet can get you started.ġ5. Instead of buying forms at your local office supply store or spending time creating them yourself, you can find tons of free forms online that you can download, customize and print. Or if you want to mix your charitable instincts with your printing needs, visit, a remanufactured printing supply company run by a group of monks in Wisconsin who, after business expenses are paid, donate their profits.ġ4. Check Google or your Yellow Pages for a local recycled printer cartridge supplier. This arrangement makes it easy for entrepreneurs to "come in, try it out for a month, and if their product isn't working, shift to a new product line or close up shop and move to a new location," Norins says.ġ3. License agreements for carts and kiosks are shorter and are usually renewed every month up to one year depending on the location. The upfront investment for a kiosk or a cart ranges from just $2,000 to $10,000, according to Patricia Norins, publisher of Specialty Retail Report. While the costs of establishing a permanent retail location can be steep-you may spend up to $100,000 or more, with leases spanning three to 10 years-carts, kiosks and temporary spaces can be an easier way to get a foot in the door with a lot less risk. Visit the Office Business Center Association International Web site for more information.ġ2. Many homebased entrepreneurs find executive suites meet a range of needs, including access to a private mailbox and a receptionist to answer or forward calls to your home office. You don't have to run your office full-time from an executive suite to benefit from its services. Include it on employee uniforms, any promotional items you give away, all press releases, in your Yellow Pages ad and on company vehicles. Are you letting people know what your URL is? Try putting it on your letterhead and business cards and in e-mail signatures-wherever potential visitors are likely to see it. Instead, provide useful information that'll make people will want to click on your site.ġ0. list alone has gotten me around 60 clients in the past five years." Always include your URL in your signature, but don't do any hard selling-most groups will ban you immediately. "But it turned out to be the single best marketing tool I use. "I didn't start to generate business, but as a way to find information for myself on various subjects," says Shel Horowitz, owner of Northampton, Massachusetts-based Accurate Writing & More and author of several marketing books, including Grassroots Marketing. Find newsgroups that cater to your audience, and join the fray. If you want to create a professional storefront, there are several "Web site in a box" solutions available, usually for a low monthly fee.ĩ. Think going online has to cost an arm and a leg? You can start out by selling items for next to nothing on online auction sites like eBay and Yahoo! Auctions. Cut costs when setting up your online store. Or, if you have America Online, visit their Small Business Center, which includes libraries of small-business information you can download at no charge.Ĩ. Research your market and find potential visitors for your Web site by looking through Usenet newsgroups (forums on the Internet where people post messages for public viewing) and special-interest groups related to your target market, product or service. Teaching a class, speaking at a community meeting, or writing an article for a local paper not only makes you look like an expert but garners low-cost attention for your business.ħ. Though you won't necessarily reach prime-time viewers, you will make an impression where it counts-in the comfort of potential customers' homes.Ħ. Local cable TV stations often have very reasonable advertising rates at time slots throughout the day and night.
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