Billboards & Bumper Stickers

The best advertising is free, but you and your employees must earn it. "A small business must provide exemplary service," Gerson says. "It's not an option, it's a requirement. You must train your employees to provide great customer service. The response is the best kind of advertising you can get--word-of-mouth."

You can even reward your best advertising mediums. As Harrison suggests, "Offer a gift certificate to any customer whose name is mentioned by a new customer."

Sales and advertising principles are the same for all businesses: know your market and what you can provide it, deliver your message clearly and creatively, monitor the results, and work at becoming known as the best in your field.

This article was originally published in the December 1996 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Billboards & Bumper Stickers.