As a fellow small business, we know just how hard and expensive it can be to build your business. There are a ton of things you can do to quickly drive business to your company, but many of these things can cost small businesses an arm and a leg in the long run. It’s risky to try some of these ways because if they backfire or don’t give you the kind of return you were looking for, you could easily bankrupt your business.

Luckily, there are a lot of other things you can to to boost business without spending a ton of money. Below, we’ve listed six of these ideas to help you get on the road to success.

1. GIVE SOMETHING AWAY ON YOUR WEBSITE FOR FREE
People love free stuff. They do. And most people are even willing to give you a little something in return if you’re willing to give them free stuff. Stick an ebook or whitepaper up on your website and ask for an email address in return. Your customer is getting some great industry information, and you’re growing your email list for free.

2. START SOCIAL ACCOUNTS
If you’re not already on social media, then you’re WAAAAY behind in your marketing efforts. You absolutely have to be on social media today — not only is it awesome for communicating with your customers, but it’s perfect for showcasing new products and sales! The best part about it, profiles are free.

3. DON’T STOP AT SOCIAL MEDIA, GO TO WHERE YOUR CUSTOMERS LIVE ON THE NET
Do your customers have a favorite niche forum they like to talk on about your industry? Get on there too and become a trusted advisor.

4. SIMPLIFY YOUR BUSINESS
Sell a lot of different things? It might be time to cut some of that out. Anything that is unprofitable and hard-to-sell needs to go! Spend all of your time and money on items that will give you adequate ROI.

5. GET YOUR WEBSITE LISTED ON THE WEB
There’s a lot more to getting on Google that just publishing a website. Make sure to submit your site to the top directories on the web. It’s free to submit your site to most directories and it will help boost your SEO in the long run.

6. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, LEARN TO DELEGATE
You’re not superman/woman. You can’t do everything yourself. If you’re a one woman/man show; it might be time to hire some help and delegate out some of that work. If you’re too busy packing orders and managing suppliers, then you certainly don’t have time to do any marketing or other important tasks you need to focus on to grow your own business. One thing to note: hire a virtual assistant instead of an employee. VA’s are cheaper in the long run and you don’t have to worry about keeping them busy all the time if there’s no work to be done.

Obviously, there are a ton of other cheap things you can be doing to grow your business. If you’re stuck and you need someone to help you figure out what to do next, give us a shout out. We’re a small business too and we’ve learned a lot over the years – let us share our experiences with you to help you grow!