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I've been running my
business for over ten years now and during that time I've discovered some very
helpful (and inexpensive) resources that have enabled me to grow my online
business on a shoestring budget. People are always asking for my advice
about who to use -- here are some of my personal favorites:
Tools for your Website
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Website Templates/Hosting: It is absolutely amazing to me how inexpensive it is to
set-up a website today. One of my favorite sites for "fast,
cheap and easy" websites is Godaddy.com. They have very user-friendly
and highly affordable templates that enable you to literally set-up a
website (complete with a shopping cart service) in less than 24
hours.
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| Logo
Creation: One of my friends recommended
InstanteStore
when I needed a logo and I found them to be incredibly easy to work with
and very, very cost-effective. I haven't used them for website
hosting, but I know of other people who have and found them to be quite
reliable. They also can design banner ads and other marketing
materials as well.
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| Build a Blog: Having a blog is a great way to
build community and drive traffic to your website. Fortunately,
for those of us who are technologically challenged, getting a blog up
and running is now pretty darn' easy. (I am not exactly a technical
wizard, so when I was looking for a company to host my blog, my
main criteria was to find something relatively idiot-proof and
inexpensive). For me,
Typepad
filled the bill. I find their
interface very easy to use.
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| Online Newsletter: One of
the best ways to stay-in-touch with people who visit your website is
through an online newsletter. Here again, my philosophy is to keep
things as simple as possible. I've used a few other newsletter
services, but Constant Contact
has been my favorite one -- they do a great job of managing
my database for a very affordable rate.
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Sell Fun Products Online: Create unique gifts, T-shirts, and
more for your business at
CafePress.
You can upload your logo and get the look of a million dollar
business on a shoestring budget. 
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Marketing/PR Advice
| If you have a service oriented business, you will love the
advice and resources provided at
Action Plan
Marketing.
When you
sign up for their newsletter, you receive a free 24-page Marketing Plan Workbook
with a detailed
outline of all the marketing activities you need to help you decide on
the focus of your business and how to attract more
clients. The newsletter is one of the few that I still make time
to read on a weekly basis. I highly recommend this site. |
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| People always ask me how I manage to
get so much publicity for my site. One of the keys to my success has
been the advice I have received from Joan Stewart, a.k.a. "The Publicity
Hound." She has an outstanding newsletter and some very useful
informational products that can make a real difference in your business.
Click
here to connect to her site. |
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Marketing Materials, Business Cards and other
Promotional Material
| Whether you need free business cards, promotional postcards, brochures or holiday
cards, Vista Print has some
of the most incredible prices, selection and great values around.
I've used them for many different items and have always been satisfied.
Click
here to receive 30% to 60% OFF all products
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