Give your employees perks, such as flexible work hours. Train them adequately for their responsibilities. And take the time to give them feedback and praise. Be passionate about your company and about them.
Marketing
It takes money to make money, but you'd be surprised how much marketing bang you can get without spending many bucks.
Word-of-mouth is the best and cheapest form of advertising, but that means a lot of networking. Attend business and community events to talk about your company, and don't forget to focus on your most desirable customers. Cultivate opportunities to be a featured speaker. Work the trade show circuit, even if you don't have the money for a booth or exhibit.
Don't forget the value of free media coverage. In the beginning, at least, you can make a reasonable go of PR by yourself. Call editors at publications important to your industry to let them know you exist. Write one or two short, newsy press releases and get them out to key newspapers and magazines. Request interviews on topics of interest to both you and reporters. Even one or two stories can generate a sizable amount of business.
Keeping start-up costs to a minimum takes self-examination, resourcefulness and creativity. But as your business grows, you'll find the skills, when mastered early on, will be keys to your ongoing success -- and the real enjoyment of your business.
Entrepreneur.com
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