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	Book Review: Guerrilla Marketing For Home Business

	by Ramona Creel

It all started with "Guerrilla Marketing" -- and the phenomenon has continued on through a whole slew of books, including "Guerrilla Marketing Online" and "Guerrilla Marketing With Technology". But in my opinion, Jay Conrad Levinson's most useful book for entrepreneurs is "Guerrilla Marketing For The Home Based Business". This book had a tremendous impact on me when I read it two years ago -- and I am still finding new ways to implement the suggestions within! Mr. Levinson -- a world renowned trainer, speaker, and marketing consultant -- really understands what is involved in running a HOME-BASED business. He recognizes that you can not marketing a "one-person show" the same way as a large corporation -- nor would you want to!

WHO ARE GUERRILLAS?

Guerrillas don't have huge marketing staffs -- or budgets, for that matter! Guerrillas have to be more creative to get their message across. The major advantage of being a "guerilla" is that you can give your marketing efforts the PERSONAL touch in a way that big business simply can't match. This bit of humanity in the midst of capitalism can make all the difference in the world -- and allow you to compete on the same turf as the big boys. Mr. Levinson points out three key issues to consider when creating a guerrilla marketing strategy:

YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO SPEND TO MAKE MONEY

Mr. Levinson's beliefs often fly in the face of conventional marketing wisdom. If you were to seek advice from an ad agency or PR firm, the first suggestion would probably be to increase your marketing BUDGET. However, home-based businesses don't have tons of excess cash to spend on advertising. They have to think of less-expensive -- but still just as effective -- methods for spreading the word. Mr. Levinson offers a number of ingenious suggestions for getting the most bang out of your buck.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

He's a big fan of BARTER -- and I can attest to the power of trade, as I have developed a wonderful barter relationship with a local public relations agent. Mr. Levinson also talks about "TESTING" the advertising waters before throwing any big money at marketing. Try a simple one-page flyer before you invest in a fancy four-color brochure. Test your message in a classified ad before going with a full-page display. And most of his suggested marketing strategies are free or very nearly free. His message throughout the entire book is to spend your business marketing dollars as wisely as you would you're own personal money.

IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

Guerrillas -- being small -- are in a wonderful position to build personal relationships with their clients, vendors, and colleagues. A large firm that has hundreds of people on staff, is burdened by an overwhelming bureaucracy, and is simply interested in making sales can't begin to treat each client as an individual. However, you can. Mr. Levinson suggests that you treat every person who walks through your door (literally and figuratively!) as FAMILY. Ask about their kids, send birthday cards, keep track of what is going on in their lives.

STAY IN TOUCH

This small bit of attention doesn't take much effort, costs almost nothing, and will make you stand out above the crowd. And don't forget about FOLLOW-UP! Mr. Levinson offers some excellent suggestions of ways to check back in on your clients regularly -- not in an attempt to sell them anything, but just to stay in touch. Do whatever you can to keep your name in front of people's faces, but don't make them feel like they are always a CUSTOMER.

HAVE A LARGE AND VARIED ARSENAL OF WEAPONS

The most useful portion of this entire book is the list of 100 marketing WEAPONS used by Guerrillas. As Mr. Levinson runs through this list, he asks you to think of each weapon in one of three ways -- either you are currently using the weapon and getting good results from it, you are currently using the weapon and could do a better job implementing it, or you are not using the weapon and should add it to your ARSENAL.

GETTING MOTIVATED

He also offers detailed examples of ways guerrillas have put these weapons to work in the past. I was so INSPIRED by his suggestions, that I ran right out and started a company newsletter and started sending out customer-satisfaction surveys -- both of which have netted me a tremendous response and repeat business from my clients. Just imagine what kind of inspiration you might find from "Guerrilla Marketing for the Home-Based Business"!

Copyright 2000-2009 Ramona Creel -- you are welcome to reprint any article, but you MUST include this resource box.

Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and NAPO Golden Circle Member. A former Social Worker, she has always enjoyed helping people find the resources and solutions they need to improve their lives. Ramona now travels the country as a full-time RVer, sharing her story of simplicity with everyone she meets. She leads by example -- having worked for more than 10 years as a Professional Organizer, and having radically downsized and simplified her own life as a full-time RVer. Ramona now considers herself a "Renaissance Woman" -- bringing all of her passions together into one satisfying career. As a "Virtual Organizer", she can create a customized organizing plan for your home or office. As a "Simplicity and Accountability Coach ", Ramona provides a proven program for making every area of your life a little bit easier -- perfect for those who want to make the time and space to focus on their true priorities. As a Professional Photographer, Ramona captures powerful images of places and people as she travels. And as a freelance writer and blogger, she shares organizing techniques, travel tips, and social commentary with others. You can see all these sides of Ramona -- read her articles, browse through her photographs, and even hire her to help get your life in order -- at www.RamonaCreel.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, check out her Facebook profile.

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