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By Catherine M. Pruissen

Marketing certainly doesn't have to take a chunk of cash to be successful. Keep as much of the jingle in your pocket as you can by applying the following cheapskate marketing tips and tricks:

• Have a business card and business stationery made up -- immediately. Let prospective customers know you are a professional who takes your business seriously. Get your business cards into as many hands as possible. Hand them out to everyone. Post them everywhere. Use your stationary for brochures, flyers, etc. and circulate them to every business and organization in your vicinity. Don't forget to send on to the Chamber of Commerce.
  
  
• Use testimonials on your flyers, brochures, parent handbook, even on the back of your business card. A small tesimonial from parents or your ECE teacher is you're just startin gout will work wonders, such as "I don't know what I would do without the great care Tanya profides for my child." Don't be afraid to ask parents for a testimonial.
  
  
• Use the Word of Mouth process. Tell anyone and everyone about your business. Talk to family, friends, associated, former employers, etc. Ask your spouse to spread the word to his associated and work buddies.
  
  
• Join your local child care association or family daycare provider's network. These groups happily refer each other to parents in need. Look around your community for other groups to join who could benefit your cause such as the parent council, school association, etc. Now is not the time to be shy.
  
  
• Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency and find out how to get on their list.
  
  
• If you can (check with your local zoning regulations first) post a sing in your window or somewhere it'll be seen by all who pass by.
  
  
• Put a sign in your car window or on the side of your vehicle. You can make one up yourself or your local stationary store can do one for you relatively cheaply.
  
  
• Hold an open house. Broadcast the news everywhere you can; on the radio (public service announcements), on the free cable listings, on local media Web sites (who have public service announcements), plaster posters everywhere, put a small ad in your local parenting paper.
  
  
• Make up a fun button to wear on your blouse or coat that has your business name and logo. You could even say "Openings available" on the button.
  
  
• Put your ad online everywhere you can, including in childcare.net's Member Classifieds (watch for our free registry coming soon).

These are just a few cheapskate ways ways you can market your daycare. Do you have a low-cost idea or tip for marketing your daycare? Share your information in other childcare.net visitors in our Discussion Forms, a popular Member Services feature.