One of the major mistakes made by most small business owners is ignoring the importance of advertising. There is a story told of the owner of the Wrigley Gum Company. The Company had for years spent large sums of money on advertising, and there came a time when they had moved so solidly into the number one position in their field. An executive suggested that since they were controlling such a large market share, wouldn’t it be a good idea to cut the advertising budget back a little bit. Mr. Wrigley answered, “Would it be a good idea to remove the engine as soon as the train was running at full speed?”
Advertising is the engine that runs the train of success. The small business owner may think he can not afford to invest in such things as flyer design and catalogue design, but the truth is that he can not afford not to make this investment. It is not going to be enough to just print up a flyer or two as if it is a matter of little importance. The same design principles that make large companies successful apply to the smallest business. It is not necessary to empty the coffers of the business to advertise on television or radio. Even newspaper advertisement may be beyond the budget of a new small business owner. Flyers and brochures are good places to start.
The point is to put as much design effort into these flyers as you would in designing a television spot or a newspaper layout. If you have to stay within your own organization, you should at least select the people who are the most artistic, and who also have a good idea of what message the company wants to advertise. If it is at all possible from a budget standpoint, consider allowing a professional to do the actual design layout.
There are many elements that go into a good brochure design. Priority of information, the ability to visualize the design from the customer’s point of view, and the effective use of color are some examples. The thrust of the design is to convert the customer to the idea that your business is where he wants to spend his money. Often times, flyer designs stress how great the small business is rather than what it can do for the customer. These are things to consider, but the most important thing is to use advertising design as the engine to get the train of your small business running full speed.
Natalie Aranda writes on SEO. Advertising is the engine that runs the train of success. The small business owner may think he can not afford to invest in such things as flyer design, brochure design and catalogue design, but the truth is that he can not afford not to make this investment.
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