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If yours is like most small businesses, you can’t afford the luxury of a PR department, much less a dedicated PR agency or even one employee responsible for external communications and PR. However, this business function is critical as the world of communications continues to expand with new applications, demands and opportunities like social media networks. The thought of a concerted PR strategy and execution can be overwhelming for a small business owner, but it doesn’t have to be. There are two primary elements of PR for a small business to engage upon – leveraging online and local offline outlets. The old world of face-to-face will continue to be critical in building your PR strategy and overall business, but let’s face it – the environment has changed, and you simply can’t ignore the power of the Web, particularly social networks. Proactively getting your business out in the community while leveraging the Web will ensure the success of your PR strategy. And, these tactics are not expensive; in fact, many present opportunities for free PR for your small business.These PR strategy tips are designed for those small businesses that simply don’t have budget allocated toward hiring and retaining a communications expert. If you are a smaller company, hopefully you can take a few tips below to integrate PR into your small business to help build a brand and generate leads. Utilizing informative, valuable PR about your small business gives you the opportunity to influence people and lead them to your destination – your website, your store, your offering. Take advantage of what’s out there! Get online and get local – it’s that simple.Growing Your PR StrategyGrow OnlineIf you don’t have a website, you need to get one immediately. Today, you can get a starter site for free or within your communications packages from your voice and data provider. If it’s in the package, then it’s a no-brainer. If you have a website, then make sure it’s dynamic (video, blogs, and communities) to ensure your target audience comes back and builds a relationship with you and your brand. It’s a requirement in today’s online world; the days of stagnant sites are over. Then, once you have your interactive site, make sure you optimize your website and everything you say about your business online to ensure your potential customers are finding you online when they search. This is a key part of your online PR strategy. Don’t you search Google or Bing to find what you need a pinch? It’s called Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and it can be an affordable way to create additional PR for your small business — and it’s often found in your communications and IT packages. At the very least, getting a URL allows you to be FOUND online and that’s key. Google now provides maps when visitors are looking for a specific service in a specific area. By simply having an Internet address – you can be found online looking professional with a map to your location and link to your business, which is pretty cool.The Wild World of Social MediaYou have probably heard about “social media” and you may already be taking part. For many, however, the world of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, blogs, vlogs and status updates may be a bit unsettling. Suffice it to say – these are powerful tools to help you carry out your PR strategy, especially when used properly to connect, communicate and yes, to sell.As a small business, you can’t afford NOT to take part. It’s easy and affordable, so don’t waste anymore time. Of course, you do need to understand how best to engage before you jump in. Here are a few quick ways to start creating more PR for your small business:1 – Create a Twitter profile and gain followers by “Tweeting” about your business, surrounding businesses and community topics that map back to your business. Build buzz about what you provide – can you Tweet special coupons? Can you give advice? Can you share relevant information to your community? Do you have an event you want to invite local prospects to? Twitter, an emerging PR strategy with an increasing audience, is a great way to quickly (140 characters or less) get a message out and position yourself as a leader. Remember, it’s not all about you; you must talk about the world around you to make an impact. Start off Tweeting about your business, but quickly begin integrating Tweets about your customers, your community, and your industry – and the most important part is to provide some kind of value or benefit in your tweets. Be respectable as well. And if you see someone comment about your business online (good or bad) – respond online for all to see. It’s a great way to show you are committed to your customers. The cost to you? It’s essentially free PR for your small business.2 – Create free profiles on Linked In and Facebook. All you need for Linked In is a profile of you, and from there, you can create a group where you can share stories, news, and other PR about your small business. People can ping you for questions which positions you as an expert and, you can join interest groups that will help you track what other potential buyers in your community do, say and think. For Facebook, simply select “business” on the homepage to create a business “fan” page. Local residents, family and friends can then become “fans” of your company, which is an easy way to highlight the most recent PR about your small business. All you have to do is commit to posting news, updates, coupons, photos and other interactive content to get people engaged. Remember – provide a benefit – a reason for your “fans” to come back for more.In addition to these PR strategy tips, there are local meet-up groups in every community that often originate from the Web, and then meet offline to have a real interactive discussion. Check out Meetup.com in your area to find one.Confused about this new world of social media? Read Groundswell by two Forrester Research analysts, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. This book will set you straight and get you excited about the opportunities out there in terms of online PR for your small business.Grow LocalMuch like how consumers like to buy from locally grown farms, small businesses tend to buy from their peers – other small businesses. An effective PR strategy is all about supporting your local communities, and these days, that’s more important than ever. Keeping this in mind, focus on your community by generating PR for your small business at local events. Depending on your business, there are often specialty groups for different types of businesses such as professional service specialty groups. Often these groups gather monthly or quarterly to share best practices and to network. There are certainly general small business groups in your community such as your local Chamber that meet regularly as well. Beyond networking events, you can get ink for your business. Most Chambers have monthly newsletters or emails. Do you have something to say? Could you contribute twice a year with a special promotion to drive people to your business? Take advantage of these opportunities to fuel word-of-mouth marketing through PR for your small business. Hand out business cards, build relationships and follow-up. These opportunities are right outside your door.Think grassroots.Shake hands with other small businesses owners, refer each other and grow your business. To improve PR for your small business, think about what events are taking place this weekend where you could set up space, hand out collateral, serve up some hotdogs, and generate solid leads. Is there an art show or “Taste Of” type of event? Don’t take it all on yourself; partner with other local businesses right in your area to split costs and cross-sell to each other’s customers. A hand-shake goes a long way towards an effective PR strategy. Add a coupon and see the results. Most communities have annual events that bring hundreds/thousands of people – target those. In terms of PR for a small business, the best thing you can do is to connect directly to your audience by showing your personality and your value – get out there!Leverage Local Media.Another important element of your PR strategy involves local brand development, which means building relationships with local media. Yes, there is still benefit in reaching out to traditional media when it comes to PR for your small business. Take a moment to find out who your local reporters are and introduce yourself. Share with your new media contacts areas of expertise that you would be able to discuss if requested. If you create a relationship with your local media and have something compelling or contrarian to say, chances are they will call you when they need your input. Consider a quick email to your local reporters with an introduction, a quick reference of your expertise and what you could comment on. Being timely and relevant is critical to your PR strategy. Offer a cup of coffee. Those relationships can go a long way when you really want to make noise in the community. It’s important to know that if you want coverage and/or additional PR for your small business – you won’t get it with a cold pitch. You must: 1) – establish a relationship; 2) – have news to share that’s relevant, unique or at least different; and 3) – have a product/or service that is remarkable. These rules ring true for influential bloggers as well. For more on being remarkable, read Seth Godin’s Purple Cow – a great, quick read that will get you thinking about how to stand out from the rest to grow your business.Blending Old and New: Building PR for a Small BusinessHopefully these PR strategy tips will help you build a brand for your small business and generate new and recurring business via PR. Communicating to customers and enabling them to communicate back to you is essential in today’s social world of media. However, what remains important today as it did 100 years ago is the face-to-face interaction. Nothing will replace it, so make sure you show your face and personality in the community. Coupling the old with the new will ensure a successful PR strategy for your small business.

If you have a burning desire to work from home you are not alone. I joined the almost 4 million Americans who successful make a living working home based businesses about a year ago. It was literally overwhelming to look at the endless possibilities in the home based business arena. To make matters worse 99.9% of the folks you are going to run into will surely try to sell you on their “amazing” opportunity. Choose wisely my friends. Over 95% of home based entrepreneurs fail. I believe this is because they jump into a business that does not fit them. Read this article to get started.If you are looking for specific ideas, I have hundreds listed in some of my other articles. In this article I am going to stick with a critical overview of the five basic structures of business that cover about 99 percent of home based businesses. By choosing a category to look into, you can narrow your search and hopefully start to hone into what is going to work for you.The question to ask is not how good an opportunity looks, but does it really fit you? Does it fit your time? Does it fit your skills? Does it fit your passions? Does it fit you realistic investment money and needed income? You must put on your critical thinking hat and look at the process as a type of reverse job interview. There are over 2,700 MLMs currently n the US and over 10,000 home based franchises, affiliate opportunities, and other home based businesses. Anyone can find a business that will make them a decent living from home- if they do their due diligence to find a truly “good fit!”Below are the 5 main categories that home-based businesses fall under. I have listed them with the main pros and cons of each structure. 1) Affiliate Marketing Pros: Good income potential: Previous proven and somewhat branded productsCons: Some have little to no ongoing training or mentorship: Affiliate Marketing is just that “marketing”2) Home Based Franchise Pros: Franchises usually have very well-developed products, services, and marketing plans: Many leave a lot of room for individuals to run their business in the way they choose to: Some provide comprehensive trainingCons: Start-up cost for franchises are significantly high than other forms of business: Many franchises require a set of specialized skills to run effectively3) MLM (network Marketer) Pros: Compared to other forms of business MLMs have a low cost to join: They have very flexible hours: Almost all have a pre-existing plan to followCons: Most MLMs have ongoing financial commitments: Only about 1% of folks in MLMs make a living in the industry: It normally takes several months to build a large enough down-line to see a significant ongoing cash flow: Out of the more than 10,000 MLMs that have been created over the last 60 years only 50 have lived to see their 10 year anniversaries4) Online Business (all other forms can be worked online) Pros: Working online provides an unlimited income opportunity: Flexible hours: Can be easily worked around current employment in needed: Fits almost any nicheCons: 97% of folks who attempt to make a living fail because of a lack of ongoing training and mentorship: There are specific skills and knowledge that must be learned to make money online5) Unique Original Ideas Pros: Started a business from scratch can be a very personally rewarded experience: If a new business is created, marketed, and branded it can create significant wealth for the ownerCons: There are many skills needed to successful run a business as a startup: There can be large startup costs: Many underestimate the time commitment needed to get a new business off the ground
Take a good look at the pros and cons of the different structures. I have successful owned and operated a number of businesses over the years; however, it was honestly an affiliate that allowed me make enough money to quite my “day job” and work completely from my home office. That being said, I know many folks who successfully run home based businesses. Many work in the MLM industry, own franchises, and some have started their businesses from scratch.