One of the biggest challenges a home-based business faces is in the way it must advertise and market itself. How do you tell people that you are running a business and influence them to buy your products or use your services?

Here are 5 simple suggestions that can help you market your home business:
1. Expand your network: Don’t just depend on your family and friends for the success of your business. They may be supportive of what you’re doing and wish you well, but they may not be the best source of referrals. Look for ways to meet new people. Attend meetings of the local Chamber of Commerce, PTA or civic associations or participate in regional trade shows and professional conferences to create a network. Join message boards and mailing lists on the internet. Do not just post links to your products or services. Instead, participate and contribute to the groups and get people to trust you. Strike up a conversation when you meet new people. Find out what they do, and eventually they’re likely to ask what you do – and that’s your opportunity to market your home business.
2. Advertise on the web: Pay Per Click advertising can be a very affordable way to find targeted customers for your home business, regardless of where they are located. To cater to businesses that sell their products mainly in nearby areas, all major search engines feature local pay per click advertising. Say you’ve made a business of your green thumb; who knows, a visitor looking for a nursery in your area might well end up calling you as a result of such advertising. Asking friends who have websites to provide a referral to your services is another way to market your home business.
3. Give a demonstration: Find creative ways to show off your product or service. If you’re a craftsperson, organize a small demonstration of your skill in a local community center. Or you can offer to decorate a local restaurant or coffee shop with your artwork and give them a commission on any works that sell as a result of the display.
4. Be informed: Keep yourself up-to-date on happenings in your industry. Attend meetings where people talk about their successes and problems. Read trade publications, get to know who’s who in the industry and then find ways to introduce yourself to people you’d like to get to know. Nothing beats a face to face meeting when you’re looking for ways to market your home business.
5. Follow-up and stay in touch: If the prospective customer doesn’t buy from you today, don’t write him or her off. Follow up with them, making sure that you weave in a compelling reason for your call or email. The question is how can you deliver value to them? Is there something of topical interest that you can share with them about your product/service or about their industry? Do they have a problem to which you can offer a solution? A good way to approach this is to share a success story with a client you've worked with.
So, you see, there are some simple but effective ways to market your home business. All you need to figure out is how to apply them to your particular circumstances.