Fellow small business owners can’t do business with your shop if they don’t know about it. There are of course the usual promotional methods of various forms of advertising but how often do you have an opportunity to tell a potential customer or word-of-mouth promoter about your business and products face to face?
One way to make use of this effective way of exposing your shop is to go to where other small business owners (and perhaps big business representatives) gather. You’re probably thinking of trade shows. And that’s fine, but there are other face-to-face opportunities in a much less hectic, much more calm environment where listeners are less likely to be distracted and more willing to pay attention to what you’re saying. And this is better still if you’re an introvert who does much better one on one than in a crowd.
I’m advocating joining industry associations and small business groups that organize get-togethers such as lunches, dinners, talks, and so forth. People join these groups and attend the events to tell about their businesses and find out about other business that might be good resources for them. It’s a promotional opportunity you shouldn’t be missing out on.