Being a small business you have plenty of things to worry about and one of the main problems you will face is how to get customers.

Many new business starters think you need to spend money on advertising campaigns, become a social media Guru or spam companies around the world telling them how great you can make them.

Whilst the first two may help, it is also worth remembering you have a huge client base on your doorstep, the local community.

Getting a local presence

Starting any business is daunting but if you can get a local presence then you are heading in the right direction and have a great platform to build on.

I formed my web design company in 2012 and am based in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, England in what was once a former mining town but over the last twenty years has seen many changes.

Gone are mining helmets, replaced by call centre headsets and with jobs at a premium many people have looked to starting their own business or community project.

By working closely with my community on projects such as helping young people have sporting activities over the school holidays and helping my local political party get online which allowed them to advertise their manifesto and activities. I would like to think in some way it helped in getting them successfully elected as Councillors.

How To Get Involved

Getting involved is probably easier than you think and you may already be participating and not realise it.

One way of becoming involved is with Facebook and the various groups that are created that you may already be a member of.

Another few ideas which will help to get you involved are;

• get involved in local activities and events
• helping in advising how they can promote these community events
• design some promotional literature and donate it to them
• find local businesses events where various businesses meet and give you the opportunity to introduce yourself

Its all about getting a presence and getting your company name out there so that when someone is looking for the service you provide, it is you that they think of.

The Advantages of Working In The Local Community

The biggest advantage in my opinion, is that you are helping what surrounds you, to grow.

I believe strongly in working with the local community as much as possible because by helping small businesses and community projects get online this may help them become established and bring more money in to the local economy which, ultimately benefits everyone.

Another great advantage is the ability to hold face-to-face meetings rather than emails or video conferencing.

I think its much better to be able to communicate to people, especially people who may be involved in community projects and who feel far more comfortable talking to someone in person.

To conclude this post, just remember that your community is filled with people that need a service that you offer.

By making sure that when you network all around the world with the modern communication tools available, make sure that you don’t forget the ones right on your doorstep.

Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper is the founder and lead designer at Tahum3D, a website design company based in South Yorkshire, England. Steve is a passionate web designer and strongly promotes small businesses.