Author Janet Elaine Smith, one of the queens of promotion, has developed a Brazen Hussy List of rules that work for her.
(Admittedly, some are a little tongue in cheek.  However, there are others I know she’s used successfully.)  These ideas should work for other authors; some of them are applicable for almost any home business.
What do you think?

Be a lurker.  Hang out in the section in bookstores where your books are. When someone looks for a book, offer them yours.
Never hide your book.  At a restaurant, set it on the table; make a see-through pocket in your purse and stick your book in …read more

During the autumn season, you may find many opportunities to promote your home business and to participate in community and online events. 
This is the time of year for colored leaves, pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, apple picking, cornstalk decorations and other signs of fall.
You may encounter apple cider making, apple picking and related events.  Or there might be a fall foliage festival combined with an arts and crafts fair.  Food fairs, square dances, box lunch socials and other carryovers from earlier days dot the countryside and towns.
How can you participate and promote your business and your wares?  Even if you mainly have an …read more

In establishing a direction for your sewing business, or any home business, look at the maket trends. 

*What is catching on in the market? 
 *What’s likely to be the new trend? 
*Does the current product you’re contemplating have limited or long life?

One of the current trends appears to be patchwork and fabric tote bags.  When I had a quiltmaking business, I found that tote bags, interspersed among my other patchwork products, were popular.  Some people have made an entire business with tote bags, especially if they can tie it in with the “green” movement.  Tying totes into environmental concerns seems to be a current trend …read more

I came across an interesting article with tips for marketing a quilting business, in other words, promoting your quilting work and letting others know what you do.  Even though these suggestions are focused on the quilter or fabric artist, most apply to any business.
In Marketing Tips for Your Quilting Business by Nikki Sabato, we learn about printed materials one can utilize:

Flyers
Hang Tags
Posters

For the details, check out Nikki’s article.
Have you tried any of the tips she suggests?  What marketing/promotional practices do you find most successful for your home business?
I’ve tried some form of the above materials in my business promotions.  I’ve discovered …read more

During these times of economic downturn in many areas, it’s often difficult to get the public to take home business owners seriously.  Frequently we’re regarded as stay-at-home moms or grandmothers who want to make a little pin money.  They don’t realize we’re professionals (whether writers, quiltmakers, crafters, bookkeepers, office assistants, medical technicians) and, as such, should ask for fair payment, not pocket change.
For instance…writers have this problem in particular and find theirs often is the first service that businesses discontinue. Instead, promote yourself as a marketing specialist, someone who will perform a service to market a company/individual’s products and services.  You’re not just …read more

If you haven’t thought about it, you should. The marketing strategy for your home business, that is.  What we all traditionally thought of as “marketing a business” is so 20th century.  We all need to look at marketing in a different way now in the 21st century, and home businesses like ours need to keep up.
Katherine Lieu at BrandCurve writes about brands and branding and she talks about how the traditional concepts of branding and marketing are changing.  I remember in my MBA courses learning about the 4 P’s  of marketing – Product (what you’re selling), Price, Place (distribution), and …read more

I was talking this evening with a young couple who have an idea for a business.  Their idea is great – they want to make beautiful handmade stone crosses.  Like many home business owners, they don’t really get the importance of listening to their customers and doing research to figure out what customers want.  Here is what I mean:
They were  going to make a huge quantity of the crosses and then try to sell them.  But they don’t know two things:
1.  What is their market for their products?  In other words, who is going to buy them? Churches?  People at …read more

Virtual Tours are often associated with promoting books, travel destinations or real estate. But have you thought about promoting your business through a virtual tour?
Of course, writing a book is a great way to promote yourself and your business. But if you just want to promote your business online you can do that too.

Here are some useful online marketing tips and links from our very own Home Biz Notes blogger, Mary Emma Allen.

Mary Emma says
Other business owners might consider utilizing blog tours, appearing on other people’s blogs, as a way to get the word out about their products and services…
You …read more

Business owners know that being the author of a book can add instant credibility and clout to the public perception of yourself and your business.
Penguin, as a major publisher, knows a thing or two about authors and the business of promoting books.
If you have a book (print or ebook) or are thinking about writing one, Penguin has a free ebook with lots of useful tips about how authors (and business owners) can leverage an online presence. Much of this information is useful for any business, not just someone wanting to write or promote a book.
The Penguin Authors Guide To Online …read more

HomeBizNotes.com

In response to my post, Do Promotional Pens Have Value?,  Shannon Cherry, of Startup Spark, responded with an interesting comment and promotional tip that I’d like to share here.  It shows that if you “think outside the box,” you often can have amazing results.
Interesting post, Mary Emma. I actually believe unless pens really link to your business, they aren’t worth much for promo purposes. I advise my clients to find a promotional item that relates to their business, but is also useful.
For example, one interior designer bought tons of pens, which no one thought about after she gave them away. …read more