Gazebo Designs

Making an outdoor accent company...tips on advertising/promotion?

My cousin and I are forming a company that makes gazebos, ponds, and other outdoor accents for customers, both from scratch and from pre-assembled kits. We have some experience in these areas, but we're still only teenagers, and we don't have much money for advertising, so where would be the best places to advertise ourselves? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. There is a great company "Vistaprint" that can really help you market your small business. You can get business cards, t-shirts, ad post cards for direct mailing and all sorts of other stuff all custom made with your companies info, logo, tag lines, etc. A lot of their stuff is free too. I got 150 business cards for shipping costs only- worked out to be like $9. Put together a high quality presentation (5 minutes) that highlights your business and yourselves. Make it fun. You have to keep people interested. The presentation should include a strong hook to get their attention, good before and after photos of your work, professional brochures, something about the two of you as individuals, and end with a call to action. Straight up ask them to hire you and ask them for referrals. Practice giving the presentation. When you get it right, head out door to door in neighborhoods that can afford and may benefit from your services. People will be impressed by two young guys with such a professional presentation and cool company. You might get your cars wrapped in vinyl that features the logo and phone number of your company. Then your a driving billboard. You might try poster ads on telephone poles and in stores where you can do that sort of thing. Our local grocery store and our public library let people post ads for services. Make your ads as professional as possible. You could befriend people in businesses that compliment yours, like pool maintenance companies and landscaping companies. Offer their customers/contacts a discount. Cross promotions with established local businesses are key to start-ups. I know these are not that original but I hope it helps you get started. Oh - and you might consider making swing-sets and playground stuff for kids. People tend to spend a lot of money on kids. Good luck.