I recomend first learning EVERYTHING about your target markets and your competition. Find out how companies and consumers make their purchasing decisions. Find out how your price and product compare with what's out there. Those elements might kill your prospects immediately. To communicate your brand, use outlets that your target markets use. Companies who are currently hiring would probably be your best leads. So go to career sites and events to make contacts and get information.

I recomend first learning EVERYTHING about your target markets and your competition. Find out how companies and consumers make their purchasing decisions. Find out how your price and product compare with what's out there. Those elements might kill your prospects immediately. To communicate your brand, use outlets that your target markets use. Companies who are currently hiring would probably be your best leads. So go to career sites and events to make contacts and get information.

Hi John,

You should check out e-mail marketing expert Gail Goodman's column on entrepreneur.com. I think it might help answer a lot of the questions you're having.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/columnists/gailgoodman/archive77684.html

Best of luck!
Kara
Your Community Editor

Hi John,

You should check out e-mail marketing expert Gail Goodman's column on entrepreneur.com. I think it might help answer a lot of the questions you're having.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/columnists/gailgoodman/archive77684.html

Best of luck!
Kara
Your Community Editor

thank you for your help, I"ll let you know how it turns out.

thank you for your help, I"ll let you know how it turns out.

Hi John: I would suggest setting up free business listings for your company, with www.local.com, www.local.google.com, www.local.yahoo.com, and also do other google seacrhes for free business listings, and sign up. Get your business name out as much as possible.

Linda
BIZ USA ONLINE | ONSITE LOCAL - Build Brand Visibility

Hi John: I would suggest setting up free business listings for your company, with www.local.com, www.local.google.com, www.local.yahoo.com, and also do other google seacrhes for free business listings, and sign up. Get your business name out as much as possible.

Linda
BIZ USA ONLINE | ONSITE LOCAL - Build Brand Visibility

John -
I'd start with the basics - what prompted you to start the company in the first place? - are you a former police officer or federal agent? If so, that might be the best place to start looking for referrals. One of the attributes private detectives have thrived upon for years is the discretion you offer in your work with people's private lives. Marketing widely takes away from that discretion, as you become a brand or a characature of the traditional gumshoe very quickly - part of the appeal is the exclusivity. So, some caution must be exercised in broadcasting your company across a broad swath of the public media. Referrals will be your bread and butter, but take time to develop a network of reliable referrors. Start with professionals that the general public already feels comfortable confiding in with their more intimate secrets - doctors, lawyers, accountants, police detectives, psychiatrists, therapists, and others.

If you cater primarily to corporations, you might cultivate corporate human resources executives, placement and temp firms, local government and union placement firms. Local business directories will have listings like these, often including e-mail addresses. If you want to advertise more widely to consumers, small classified ads in the backs of human resources, legal, law enforcement and believe it or not, bridal magazines, might prove useful - how many brides might appreciate an honest background check of their proposed spouse - might save lots of heartache later on . . . just my two cents.

Develop a personal network of professionals who will refer work to you, and provide a reason for them to refer you instead of someone else, by providing them good work, good value, discretion and honesty.

Best of luck, feel free to contact me directly if you'd like to discuss any of this further.
Dave Poulos, Chief Consultant
Granite Partners
www.granite-part.com

John -
I'd start with the basics - what prompted you to start the company in the first place? - are you a former police officer or federal agent? If so, that might be the best place to start looking for referrals. One of the attributes private detectives have thrived upon for years is the discretion you offer in your work with people's private lives. Marketing widely takes away from that discretion, as you become a brand or a characature of the traditional gumshoe very quickly - part of the appeal is the exclusivity. So, some caution must be exercised in broadcasting your company across a broad swath of the public media. Referrals will be your bread and butter, but take time to develop a network of reliable referrors. Start with professionals that the general public already feels comfortable confiding in with their more intimate secrets - doctors, lawyers, accountants, police detectives, psychiatrists, therapists, and others.

If you cater primarily to corporations, you might cultivate corporate human resources executives, placement and temp firms, local government and union placement firms. Local business directories will have listings like these, often including e-mail addresses. If you want to advertise more widely to consumers, small classified ads in the backs of human resources, legal, law enforcement and believe it or not, bridal magazines, might prove useful - how many brides might appreciate an honest background check of their proposed spouse - might save lots of heartache later on . . . just my two cents.

Develop a personal network of professionals who will refer work to you, and provide a reason for them to refer you instead of someone else, by providing them good work, good value, discretion and honesty.

Best of luck, feel free to contact me directly if you'd like to discuss any of this further.
Dave Poulos, Chief Consultant
Granite Partners
www.granite-part.com

Hi John,
I would start with setting up a blog. Write about cases you've covered (with names changed) and what might interest your clients. Offering tips is also a good idea. Get on Twitter and participate in the social web. Find forums that are relevant and be part of the community. Include a link to your site in your signature. And as your writing develops, try to offer yourself as a guest blogger on other websites. As David Poulos suggested, work on creating a social network. Devote at least an hour a day to these tasks, and try to produce 1-2 blog posts per week on your own blog. Ideal is everyday, but it can be very time consuming.

After re-reading your question it occurred to me that you might want to create an introduction letter and present yourself to medium and large businesses. Be sure to find the right person to address to so it might be read. You could also look into offline networking in your area. There must be some conferences or seminars that you can attend. Find mixers and get some face to face discussions. Also, try to identify a PR angle and see if you can get yourself in a newspaper or magazine. Maybe something about how you were able to save a company money or how your background investigations are becoming increasingly popular with the hiring process?

As you get into the social web you'll find many opportunities to develop your personal brand and build a name for yourself.

regards
Mark Nicholson
http://www.reactorr.com

Hi John,
I would start with setting up a blog. Write about cases you've covered (with names changed) and what might interest your clients. Offering tips is also a good idea. Get on Twitter and participate in the social web. Find forums that are relevant and be part of the community. Include a link to your site in your signature. And as your writing develops, try to offer yourself as a guest blogger on other websites. As David Poulos suggested, work on creating a social network. Devote at least an hour a day to these tasks, and try to produce 1-2 blog posts per week on your own blog. Ideal is everyday, but it can be very time consuming.

After re-reading your question it occurred to me that you might want to create an introduction letter and present yourself to medium and large businesses. Be sure to find the right person to address to so it might be read. You could also look into offline networking in your area. There must be some conferences or seminars that you can attend. Find mixers and get some face to face discussions. Also, try to identify a PR angle and see if you can get yourself in a newspaper or magazine. Maybe something about how you were able to save a company money or how your background investigations are becoming increasingly popular with the hiring process?

As you get into the social web you'll find many opportunities to develop your personal brand and build a name for yourself.

regards
Mark Nicholson
http://www.reactorr.com

I recommend doing it the old fashioned way - connect with people. It is the fastest, easiest and most cost effective way to promote yourself, particularly in a service based business. You are lucky, you are in a relatively unique business - not a ton of competition in local areas... go to networking meetings, tell your story, and bring plenty of business cards. Then, most importantly, FOLLOW UP w/ people. It amazes me how many people are card collectors - then hide them away when they get home.

Introduce yourself to local business owners, develop a relationships and they will ultimately become your sales team down the line - IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS...

Think in terms of these 3 keys: Awareness, Education, Action
Make them AWARE that you exist
EDUCATE them on what you do
Be clear on what ACTION you want them to take then make it easy for them.

You should enroll yourself into some sort of coaching program to continue to enhance your business development strategies...
Here is the one I recommend: www.RevenueBlitz.com - It is great for someone on a budget (it's only about $9 buck/mo.) and is LOADED with great information and assignments to guide you.

I recommend doing it the old fashioned way - connect with people. It is the fastest, easiest and most cost effective way to promote yourself, particularly in a service based business. You are lucky, you are in a relatively unique business - not a ton of competition in local areas... go to networking meetings, tell your story, and bring plenty of business cards. Then, most importantly, FOLLOW UP w/ people. It amazes me how many people are card collectors - then hide them away when they get home.

Introduce yourself to local business owners, develop a relationships and they will ultimately become your sales team down the line - IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS...

Think in terms of these 3 keys: Awareness, Education, Action
Make them AWARE that you exist
EDUCATE them on what you do
Be clear on what ACTION you want them to take then make it easy for them.

You should enroll yourself into some sort of coaching program to continue to enhance your business development strategies...
Here is the one I recommend: www.RevenueBlitz.com - It is great for someone on a budget (it's only about $9 buck/mo.) and is LOADED with great information and assignments to guide you.