5 Ways to Attract More Local Business + the 7th Annual Minority Expo

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Having a big ol’ pile of online customers is great, but don’t forget that you do have potential local customers right in your own back yard. Plus it’s worth mentioning that local customers are especially important to those entrepreneurs out there who have brick and mortar businesses or provide local services.

As a native New Yorker I had to put in some work to start building my visibility in North Carolina. Here are a few local marketing and small business networking strategies that have worked for me:

1. The first thing I did was create a list of fellow web women entrepreneurs who I knew online that were local to NC. I used my email contacts and Facebook friends list to create my initial circle. I invited a small group of women out to a networking dinner and from there my SistaSense Socials Local Meetup group was born.

2. I created a Facebook group specifically for NC Women Entrepreneurs as a way to create my own unique space for like minded women that I could connect with locally on a regular basis. There are now over 300 women in my group, and I have a fabulous 5 local power circle of ladies who are my NC Rocks – we partner together to host events, work with each other and attend networking events together as a supportive group.

3. Inside my business marketing calendar I add at least 2 to 3 local events that I can attend and/or vend at each year. This year will be my 2nd time vending at the wonderful Minority Expo happening here in Greenville, NC this weekend (10/26/13). I will have a SistaSense table there and this is a free event for the community. Networking events like this one are a great way to meet other entrepreneurs and share my web design business / sistasense services for women entrepreneurs within my local Greenville Community.

4. I started out with my small socials and dinners and now I host both the She Rocks the Web Workshop and my Power Circle Conference annually at the Aloft Hotel, in Chapel Hill NC. Creating your own events and/or meet up groups is a great way to expand your brand, local visibility and network of like-minded individuals.

5. I love sharing deals and discounts virtually, but also consider coupon sites like RetailMeNot or Groupon as spaces to share your business promotions with your local community. And also keep in mind that using free resources like Google Pages and Google Places you can help customers find your local business. Google tools are especially useful when you think about the millions of people who use Google Maps to find local businesses that can cater to their needs.

Plus I have a special page on my BBWO Network for Business Women where you can share your coupons, discounts and daily deals.