You’ve finished writing your business plan and decided it’s to take the plunge. But before you set to launch, start small and give your business a trial run. Make some prototype of your products from the house and fork out a hundred dollars for four color printing a few hundred flyers and brochures. See how well it sells and go from there.

Slow but sure business model

Low capital businesses need a business model that gives them faster returns on investment. They have to streamline their cost. Use a marketing strategy that focuses on small easily and quickly attainable goals, and done cheap. (Billboards, jingles, and commercials are out of the question)They need to break even fast and use the profit for additional capital instead of putting in more money from their pockets.

Unless you’re a multimillionaire, or have multimillionaire friends who can invest on your business, stick to the slow but sure business model and work your way to becoming the next big thing.

Here’s what your marketing plan should look like:

1. Long Before the Launch:

As previously suggested, you can start out with flyers and brochures for your products. This is simply a test to see the receptiveness of the market. At this point, your customers are mostly friends and family, and their own set of friends.

They may be enthusiastic about your business and can be very good salesmen, but they may get the facts of your products wrong. Arming them with a flyer helps them along the way. It will also help them give better feed back about your products.

2. Pre-launching:

You need posters, and plenty of them. The first few days of your business, you should expect a lot of curious people dropping in just to check what your business is about. They may buy your products out of curiosity, but only a small percent of them will be repeat customers. What’s important though is to let them know your business exists.

Start with a bang. You should have a gimmick for your launch: a guest celebrity, extended shop hours, games, free beer, anything to drum up excitement for your opening. Of course, direct-mail invites and postcards to your event can go a long way.

Your posters should shout out your unique selling point, and your USP should answer a problem or fill in an important need.

3. Launch: Depending on how well executed your pre-launching is, you can expect to have a number of people frequenting your store. Chances are, you won’t have a chance to talk long enough to each one to explain what your business is about or why they should be your customer. The next best thing though is give them a brochure.

Four color printing is your new best friend. Give an in-depth brochure that goes beyond your average hype. Talk about the needs you intend to meet with your business, talk about your need to hear their insight, talk about how you came up with the inspiration for your products and how that eureka moment felt. Small businesses thrive on long term relationships.