Barter is a must if you are to maximize your restaurant’s bottom line, because barter purchases are done at your company’s variable cost. For success in any business one needs to advertise, to get customers into your establishment before they can purchase your services or product. Even if (especially if) you have a limited budget, you still need to advertise or your business will have limited success.

If you are operating on a tight budget, it is especially important that your restaurant business stands out from all others. People need to see your restaurant as a special place to try or visit.

But how do you get started in your dvertising endeavors with limited funds? You use what you have (good food) to get what you want (advertising help). Step one is to determine your unique selling proposition…what makes your restaurant unique. Then you need professional assistance to take your ideas and put them into a form for the local community to see.

Look to barter with local art directors (local artists) to design quality advertising by working with you on the side for meals, (provide them with gift certificates or your restaurant scrip, which they can use and/or trade). On an indirect basis, using a local trade exchange, you can barter with their members–graphic artists, copywriters, etc.–who also can provide these needed services.

You will want to barter for various local media as well, radio, cable TV, and print media. Depending upon your talents and interest this can be accomplished on a direct trading basis, as well as indirect–once again taking advantage of your trade exchange’s media sources.

There are scores of other services available on barter that will generate greater cash flow, all reported in our BarterNews special restaurant report, REPORT or see right-hand column, scroll down to “Top Resources.”

Restaurant marketing is not just about getting cheaper advertising, but also should involve giving back to the community. Get involved in the community, be vocal about community concerns.

Look into sponsoring events such as little league teams, charity events, city festival events, you may even want to sponsor a block party with other business owners. There are many different creative ideas you can come up with if you put on your thinking cap. Ask a few business associates over one evening for wine and cheese, and “brainstorm” on ideas for your restaurant marketing?

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 25th, 2007 at 3:29 pm and is filed under Restaurants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.