I’ve recently started a small business marketing company.My focus is to help small businesses in local markets reach more people and improve their brand. I’m located in Columbus,OH. I’ve put together a website (www.mentlowinc.com). I guess I’m at a point as to how I should present the company. I want to know what services should be offered compared to doing this for a large company. Mainly where should I start, I’m not very experienced so I’m aware that may not help. But I feel if I get one client right now I’ll learn under fire! How did you get it started?

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Jay’s Answer:

Let’s start with your website.

The first thing (viewing it on a Mac/Firefox) was that the clock in the upper left is underneath your logo.

Your tagline (“Where small businesses come to grow”) isn’t quite right: small businesses don’t necessarily want to grow – they may want more clients, more income, more reliable income, etc.
The first paragraph begins awkwardly (“What we at Mentlow Inc. want to do is provide marketing and promotion as well as business development”). Your prospective clients don’t care about what you want to provide – they only care about what problem of theirs you solve. Also, “want to” means that you’re not yet doing the work.

As a fellow marketer, you know that they key to finding clients is to focus on a specific niche and get to know it well. The services you should offer are those that your niche needs (and can’t get anywhere else). So, what’s your niche? Small business? Small local business? Small local business in a specific industry? The narrower you get, the more value you can potentially offer: people want to hire specialists that know their needs intimately (and can address them effectively).

Since you don’t have experience, get it. Volunteer with not-for-profits to get some experience (and help them out). Next, have a reason for people to connect with you – regularly publish a newsletter that’s full of useful information (either write it yourself, or republish other’s articles with permission).

Improve your website from a Yahoo standard template to something a little bit more professional (it’s just like dressing nicely for a party – you want to dress to impress). Get rid of the counter. Put your contact information prominently on your site: in your banner and/or footer.

That’s what I did to get it started. I also had to learn patience – not everyone will need your services the first time you meet them. The key is to be the name they think of when they need your services (or someone needs a referral).