I am always going to tell you to find a business that is in a niche. I think you have a long road ahead if you are competing with others that are doing the exact same thing as you are.
What if it is too late and you already own a business that has been operating awhile but it is similar to many businesses around you?
The first question I ask is “How do I know you are there?” Let’s consider a Mexican restaurant my friend owns. His restaurant is tucked away behind a gas station in with a series of other small businesses, very inconspicuous. If I was not friends with the owner I probably would barely know the restaurant is there. On top of that there is another Mexican restaurant just down the street that is more visible.
The first thing that comes to mind is just putting out a sign. A sign is good but very limited, how could we spread the word virally? How can you get people talking about your restaurant. This is the perfect area for Guerrilla marketing.
The first thing I would do is create relationships with the business owners around me. I would ask if they would be interested in affiliate marketing. For instance my friend could ask the gas station owner if he could give coupons to anyone who buys gas. This adds value to the gas station. On top of that if someone buys a dinner at the restaurant they can get a few cents off each gallon of gas.
I know this sounds a bit weird but if you want to be a business owner you need to begin to think outside of the box.
There are probably thousands of guerrilla marketing ideas out there. Follow this link for a search on the topic (Click here).
What other ideas would you use to market your restaurant?
I think this is why it’s so important to follow your passion and do what you love for a living. When you’re involved in a business you’re passionate about, these things are second nature. You’ll tell everyone you know (and their mom) about you’re business because you can’t contain it.