What are some low-cost Local Store Marketing ideas to get started?

Here are some marketing ideas to consider before breaking out the big bucks:

1. Hand shake and business card. There is this amazing new social networking tool that’s become popular lately: a radical concept called meeting people in person. Whether you’re a business owner or the general manager, make a point to introduce yourself to at least five people every week. You might be pumping gas or going to the grocery, but say something like: “I’m John Doe, the general manager of John’s Bistro down the street. Just wanted to introduce myself. Have you tried us out yet?” If they haven’t, pull out a business card, write a special freebie offer on the back, and sign and date it. Out of the people you might meet over the year, odds are will use your business-card coupon, and about will become new customers. That’s a significant amount of new business with no advertising cost.

2. Cross promote with other local merchants. It is time for you and your peers to scratch each other’s backs. Provide a special certificate for other local businesses to pass out to customers with a special offer from you -- compliments of them. You get your advertising handed out for free, and the promotional partner gets to offer their customers a perk.

3. Make local employees your VIPs. Got a major employer near your business? Offering a discount to workers who show their name badge seems like a good idea, but often doesn’t work because only those who are already customers take advantage of it. It’s better to persuade the employer to distribute a “VIP card” from your business to each of their workers. Most of them will stick your card into their wallets or purses, and then decide it might be worth it to give you a try. Generally, you should offer something repeatedly for a set period of time to the VIPs -- to days is a good time period. A restaurant might offer a percent discount or free desert. A photo shop might price5x7" photos as4x6" photos. Keep the offer lower than you generally would with merchant cross promotions.

4. Get some bounce-back action. Ever have special circumstances in which you provide products or services to a group of people who normally aren’t your customers? Maybe you own a restaurant that also caters events. Maybe you own a T-shirt shop, and a big local employer asks you for shirts for a summer picnic. Each of these people you’re providing products or services to could also become individual customers. So besides catering a retirement party, provide each of the guests with certificates offering them each a $ discount on their next meal. Chances are good that of those certificates will be redeemed and a third of those will be first-time buyers. You might get an average meal ticket of $. So you still made some revenue and got a chance to impress customers who might turn into regulars. Let’s just say a regular customer provides $1, in annual revenue. You might increase your revenue by $, from the promotion.

5. Support fundraisers -- creatively. One client who owned a restaurant once was approached by a local charity for a gift card for their silent auction. My company found out that the nonprofit expected people to attend the event. So we created special certificates for the restaurant that were handed out to each person that showed up. Each certificate promised a $5 donation to the charity, as long as the certificate holder spent at least $ at the restaurant. The restaurant received redemptions, and were first-time buyers. The charity raised an extra $, and the restaurant got a shot at winning a dozen or so new regulars worth about $1, a year in sales. The restaurant not only achieved exposure and goodwill, but more importantly got new people in the front door spending money

you must be related to your market to be able to sell the items to the costumer cheerfully and to the merchants and get the most profit in this operation ,so we will use options or offers to convince the costumer       

Find alternatives in the distribution channels in terms of reducing the number of intermediaries between the merchant and the item to be Hriha so less profit ratio