How to grow a small business

Cardelli's Deli in Jurupa Valley opened in 2008, and now thrives on the good recommendations its customers provide.

Remax/Impact opened in 2013, eleven years after broker Hasina Hason first began her career as a real estate agent. Hason started her real estate business back in 2002 by mostly making direct contact with potential sellers. Twelve years later, although she now relies on other marketing tactics, face-to-face contact is still how she usually finds customers.

Bob Hernandez, shown here with a technician working in veterinarian Dr. Butchko's office, was a successful businessman in the Rubidoux area of Jurupa Valley for more than 30 years. He and his father started Hernandez Tire simply by telling all of their friends and participating in Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce events to meet others in the community - even though they couldn't afford the Chamber's dues at that time. Bob has been a member, either as Hernandez Tire or in the last few years, as an individual, since the early 1980s and served one year as its president.

It seems there are many options for growing a business these days: Direct mail, media advertising, social media advertising, guerilla marketing strategies and attending networking events are some ways. With the exception of SOME networking events, though, almost any marketing strategy costs some money.

So, how does a business owner know what to do? And, what if the business is starting out so small, it really doesn’t have money for conventional marketing tactics?

In my hometown of Jurupa Valley, California, that’s a problem many business owners have had.  Those with experience stress that word of mouth is important.

Hernandez Tires, which was in the Rubidoux from 1978 to 2011 grew quickly because of the relationships the owners already had with people in the community, said Bob Hernandez, who sold this business in 2011 and retired before turning 60.

 “When we first got started, we couldn’t afford to advertise. We went to the people we knew and told them about our tires,” Hernandez said.

“We also participated in Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce events to meet more people. I didn’t join (until later) because I couldn’t afford to join.”

Within a few years, Hernandez Tire had a customer base of more than 300, and joined the Chamber. Bob Hernandez was active as a business member of the Chamber of Commerce until 2011. Since the Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce allows individual memberships, he remains a member at that level, and continues to mentor younger business owners.

Teresa Guziejka, with her husband Joe opened Cardelli’s Italian Deli in the De Anza Market Place in 2008. Initially, they had to make some effort to get customers into their restaurant to taste the sandwiches. They also had at the beginning, and continue to invest in high quality meats, cheeses and other products.

So they put coupons in Pennysaver and other small magazines, and hired a sign twirler to alert people who had already come into De Anza Market Place.

“It worked,” Guizejka said. “But now we don’t have to do that. We have customers coming in all the time and telling their friends we are a great sandwich place. They have even posted positive reviews on websites like Yelp and Trip Advisor.”

Hasina Hason, owner of Remax/Impact (the local franchise of Remax realty companies), became a real estate agent twelve years ago.Although all agents start out working for someone else as a broker, since they're independent contractors, they must do their own marketing.

"I started with door-knocking," she said. "It required commitment, hard work and dedication.

After eight years as an agent, Hason opened Hason Real Estate Services in 2010, and affiliated the company with Remax last year. Now, she has many other means of advertising available, such as online advertising sites like Zillow, as well as the local movie theater. But she still is constantly knocking on doors.

"The most powerful and effective marketing is through face-to-face contact," she said.

And then there’s me. I started Pen Porter eight months ago with NO budget. I already had a few clients though, because before officially launching the business I had been providing my media relations, research and writing services as a freelancer.

Most of these customers, I too got by word of mouth. I went around my neighborhood introducing myself. I joined my Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce at the individual level, and have some great new friends and an occasional new client. In fact, until Pen Porter grows a bit larger, the Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce will be my #1 customer, because my involvement as a volunteer led to me being selected for the only paid position, marketing manager.

Now that 2014 has come, I look forward to even more growth, because I can afford a bit more marketing. But I have already committed to investing most of that into a networking group, the VIP Mastermind Club in Corona.

In this club, we will receive some quality training in website development and other marketing methods that are popularly used these days. But what I am most excited about is that in this club, most of the participants will learn why they need a good writer. They will also learn one of their own club members IS a good writer.