Help with Advertising new business!!!?

Hi, I'm just after opening a new shop. We are in an industrial estate but we are just across the main road from Tesco & a retail park with argos & other big name shops. We sell giftware etc but at discounted prices. The local council took down our signs because the town was voted the dirtiest town in the country & they were having a big clean up & they ar no longer giving temporary sign permits.
Has anyone any ideas to get the customers in to me. I have leaflets etc & have done door to door with them. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Try to get the awareness of your business up by doing some public relations work: contact media (local papers, radio, television) with a story....the story could be how new business is being constrained by the town's new sign permit limitations.

Also try to contact interior designers (I presume that some of the giftware is for the house) or other business-to- business potential customers and invite them in to your store for a 'special after hours' preview or sale or whatever's appropriate.

Good Luck.

Go to the site below. It recommends a free way of advertising your business whether it is land based or Internet based.

Best of luck.

Put it in the newspaper, drop off fliyers and get a website. Also if the store owners let you drop off your cards at more well known businessess.

Yep I suggest http://www.sellit-right.com really good and free, let people know about your land Biz on there too.

Also put your logo on your car- great idea too!

Lots of great answers. Ensure you begin creating an email database and gather these by contacting companies around the area, maybe offering gift baskets (expand your market). Remember, building a business and brand awareness takes time, innovation and tenacity!

With this database in hand, start Vmailing them! Add video to your website, use vmail banner advertising to drive traffic to the website and offer them something if they spend more than 15 quid say when they visit!

So many ideas, so little time and space here! Imagine the power of video and vmail to your database (even if you start sending out to your own address book, the staff's address book and ask them to pass it on!!) They call it viral marketing.

Good luck (video and vmail are VERY economic - as little as 100 quid a year!) If you want more marketing ideas, contact me.

Regards
Meredith