Best way of advertising a new business?

pebbles21

Hi,Im opening a boutique in a relative big town but its slightly off the beating track of the main thoroughfare,any ideas how i can advertise this and get the word out??

premier10

Local Newspapers
Have a grand opening, send out leaflets/flyers to welcome people along.
Advertise on your local town website, chamber of commerce site(usually free)
Local radio adverts(can be expensive)
Facebook pages - send invites to all your friends and their friends.etc
Get the priest to annouce it at Sunday morning mass if all else fails!!!

that's all i can think of.

Best of luck with it.

NathanKingerlee

If you're advertising what about a coupon in the advert which will give people a special deal for the first week of opening; then make a big deal of them when they arrive?

Do you have any different angles that you could use to get some paper editorial or local radio time, instead of a standard press release stating that you've just opened for business?

It's not very PC, but if you're a large person's boutique, you could run a competition to kit out, free of charge, the town's largest person?
It would hopefully get people talking and that's the main thing! That's just an example. What's your niche?

91011

If its an upscale boutique you will need to target your advertising more carefully.

Local paper advertising is good, but have a graphic designer design the advert for you so that it gives the right impression. Leaflet drop may not be suitable unless its a 6 page booklet with fashion photography of products & labels you are stocking.

Get involved in fashion shows - usually some of the local schools / college will have a fashion show coming up at this time of year.

Opening night with cocktails would be different - rent a decent barman for the night. (cocktails are cheaper than wine and are more interesting)

If you are stocking well known designer brands - utilise their standing with your consumer and almost have them equal or higher billing to your name - then gradually over a year have your anme the main billing.

Brands = trust.

bigneacy

NathanKingerlee wrote: »

It's not very PC, but if you're a large person's boutique, you could run a competition to kit out, free of charge, the town's largest person?
It would hopefully get people talking and that's the main thing! That's just an example. What's your niche?

love that... its like something you'd see on killinaskully or father ted!!

A big grand opening would be good, get the local radio station in to do an outside broadcast, conincide with your grand opening with prizes and stuff.. Unless of course its an upscale boutique, if its upscale I agree 100% with 91011

Fergal C

pebbles21 have you thought about who your target customers will be, as this will have a large impact on how you promote your store. For example, a children's clothes show would use different marketing and promotion than a store selling professional work wear.

If you give a little info on your target market you might get more helpful suggestions.

jetsonx

pebbles21 wrote: »

Hi,Im opening a boutique in a relative big town but its slightly off the beating track of the main thoroughfare,any ideas how i can advertise this and get the word out??

I really think you should put your ideas on advertising on hold for a while and rethink your location.

As I deal with small business people all the time, I can reliably tell you that opening a shop like a boutique in an "out of the way" area from a main thoroughfare can be disastrous.

You can get away with an "out of the way" location if you are selling business-to-business products, like industrial pumps, mops or any other sort of equipment where all the "trade" know about you. I know of several businesses that operate in these locations quite successfully.

Unfortunately, you cannot get away with this when targeting ordinary "Joe and Mary Soap" consumers. You need a an area of high (targeted) footfall. "Location, location, location" is a well known mantra for very good reason.
If you decide to go ahead and open, you will can come up with as many fancy marketing ideas as you like. But after all the cocktail parties, newspaper ads and facebook page ideas have been executed - you will still be in a bad location.

Do yourself a huge favor, go to the main thoroughfare and look out for "To let" signs. Some landlords are crying out for commercial tenants at the moment and you might get a good unit much cheaper than you thought.

When you find a good retail location, you've already tripled your chances of success. Good luck with your new venture.

pebbles21

jetsonx wrote: »

I really think you should put your ideas on advertising on hold for a while and rethink your location.

As I deal with small business people all the time, I can reliably tell you that opening a shop like a boutique in an "out of the way" area from a main thoroughfare can be disastrous.

You can get away with an "out of the way" location if you are selling business-to-business products, like industrial pumps, mops or any other sort of equipment where all the "trade" know about you. I know of several businesses that operate in these locations quite successfully.

Unfortunately, you cannot get away with this when targeting ordinary "Joe and Mary Soap" consumers. You need a an area of high (targeted) footfall. "Location, location, location" is a well known mantra for very good reason.
If you decide to go ahead and open, you will can come up with as many fancy marketing ideas as you like. But after all the cocktail parties, newspaper ads and facebook page ideas have been executed - you will still be in a bad location.

Do yourself a huge favor, go to the main thoroughfare and look out for "To let" signs. Some landlords are crying out for commercial tenants at the moment and you might get a good unit much cheaper than you thought.

When you find a good retail location, you've already tripled your chances of success. Good luck with your new venture.

Thanks for advice,but i have already moved in and opening next week,just waiting for accessories and bags to arrive

I know where your coming from with the location,but its not too far away from the main st, literally 30 yards away with cafes and other shops beside it

The reason i took it is, it is fully fitted out for clothing and looks fab,im also in the rag trade for the last twenty years and i source the stock direct,which means i can sell designer clothing but a lot cheaper than my competitors,and this is why i want to get the word out there initially,and word of mouth hopefully will do the rest

Heres a pic of it and its in Navan btw

drunkmonkey

Don't go cheap, just because your competition is selling at a certain price doesn't mean there buying it a lot more expensive than you.
Be very careful with your cash in the first few months until you know it's starting to make sense. You need to be making a profit if your not don't dig a big hole.

You could get about 10,000 flyers printed and delivered for about 800, Put a call to action on them as other posters have mentioned. If your off the beaten track put a map on the flyers if your going that route.

OOPS....Best Of Luck!!

jetsonx

pebbles21 wrote: »

The reason i took it is, it is fully fitted out for clothing and looks fab

Sounds like you've "fallen in love" with your newly acquired shop. This is quite natural.

But loving your business or business premises, at such an early stage is not a good idea because it tends to blur your perception of the critical factors needed to run a business in a particular industry. You should be looking at this business with a cold and dispassionate eye...rather like the way an accountant would look at it.

For example, you say it "looks fab", this tells me you are looking at this business from your perspective not your potential customers perspective. They might have the perception that it looks "expensive" or even "exclusively snobbish". Picture the type of customer who you think will make up the lions share of your income each week then look at the business through their eyes - not yours.

just because your competition is selling at a certain price doesn't mean there buying it a lot more expensive than you.

Drunkmonkey, makes a very valid point here. Never underestimate your competitors, they are more likely charging a higher price because they know the pricing level that has to be set to cover overheads and "other expenses", which always seem to mount up in a business. Small businesses, now matter how much you try to cut your costs can be like hoovers when in comes to gobbling up cash. This is probably why your competitors are charging more.


ps: and don't trust your family or friends opinion when it comes to their perception of your business. They will just tell you what you want to hear.

drunkmonkey

jetsonx wrote: »

ps: and don't trust your family or friends opinion when it comes to their perception of your business. They will just tell you what you want to hear.

and staff, bad staff will close you down. Get cameras and keep and eye on them, make sure there showing customers their full attention, get cameras before you open as I think it's illegal to install them once the staff have started working. Also invest in a POS, you need to be able to keep a tight track on stock and takings.
If someone isn't working right for you get rid of them asap, don't let it drag on.

jetsonx

Get cameras and keep and eye on them, make sure there showing customers their full attention

Any business where there is cash handling going on, you have to be careful. An investment in security will be worthwhile, (overheads mounting already you see...).And you will have to find honest staff with a relaxed demeanor on the outside but a steely determination to sell underneath - a combination not easy to find.

drunkmonkey

jetsonx wrote: »

not easy to find.

There like hen's teeth, there's no excellent sales people unemployed unless they want to be.

Fries-With-That

pebbles21 wrote: »

Hi,Im opening a boutique in a relative big town but its slightly off the beating track of the main thoroughfare,any ideas how i can advertise this and get the word out??

Congratulations on opening your new shop, it does indeed look 'fab' (not something someone my age says on a regular basis).

If you're just off the main street I can't see you having many problems with people finding you.
You said you're beside a coffee shop, if its a busy shop and it serves the type of customer you're targeting you've already picked a good location and targeted your target market.

I can imagine customers of the shop nipping in for a browse around whilst they wait for their friend to arrive for a coffee.

Cultivate the friendship with the shop, especially if they're well established.


For a shop to succeed it needs many things(too many to mention here), if you're going down the route of flyers I'd be careful, most people get too much junk in their letterbox these days.

A full colour advert in the local paper with a ticket for a designer handbag or something raffle that has to be dropped off instore is a good way of drawing customers to you.