You’ve acquired the private start-up business loans required to fund your new business, signed all the contracts, and are inching closer to opening day. Hopefully, you’ve already given plenty of thought to your business strategy and advertising plans. But there’s always a way to add a little extra something to your approach in the early days of your business. Here’s how to draw customers to your new start-up in the first week and beyond!

Networking

There’s no doubt you’ve already talked to several people—lawyers, bankers, and accountants—about starting your business. But have you taken steps toward talking to potential clients and collaborators? If you’re new to an area and have a brick-and-mortar storefront, introduce yourself to surrounding businesses. Ask if they have any place where you can advertise—a bulletin board or front window, for example, or a place on the counter where you can leave a stack of fliers or business cards. Ask for tips and suggestions about what worked for them when they started and how they keep the customers they have.

Get on Social Media

As a business owner it is essential that you have a social media presence despite whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or just work from home. Ensure that you’re well-represented on the big sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Provide daily content such as announcements, photos of new merchandise, and events, deals, and discounts. You can utilize social media search engines to find people who might be interested in your products and services. An online presence is vital.

Promote Your Expertise

Here’s another way to draw customers to your new start-up. Make yourself available as a subject matter expert by speaking at local events about what you do and what you offer. Local business organizations are a good place to start. Speaking events provide not only a captive audience but also a potential source of clients. In addition, you can create a blog and offer short articles that help people with specific problems, and always close with a call to action. This strategy also makes your site more attractive to Google and other search engines.

Referrals

If you can’t afford an advertising agency, focus on making your customer’s referrals your best advertisement!

Offer deals and discounts to anyone who refers someone to you and think of a unique way to reward them if that friend becomes a new customer. Always provide two business cards if you think a customer is a potential lead to a new client!