It Doesn't Take Money to Make Money

Given the tough economic times, a lot of business owners are in the "it takes money to make money" rut. This line of thought is forcing many owners who see their bottom lines shrinking to pull back on marketing efforts.

From a marketing perspective, now is the time to get out of that rut.

Recall that money is not the only currency in marketing.

You can do a lot with time and energy. Arguably, you can do more with time and energy than money alone.

A wise investment of energy, for example, can lead to greater creativity, a fresh look at an old idea or a new way to leverage resources.

But energy doesn't produce itself. The First Law of Thermodynamics teaches us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only change forms.

So don't think that you can energize your marketing by just sitting there. You can't just create an energy and buzz around your brand. But you can change its form.

Think of ways to divert the energy and attention towards you and your business. Use your own energy to convert it into different energy like new customers, repeat business or referrals.

Instead of sitting in your rut of "I need money to make money" get out there and drive the energy bus. Move your business to the next level with pure energy: go the extra step, ask for that close, create value, uncover new partnership opportunities, feed the "word-of-mouth" buzz, deposit referrals into the Golden Chain of Referrals. Marketing energy alone can go a long way!

Take inspiration from Chris Farley and Adam Sandler that created comedic energy from a couple tables full of food in their famous "Energy Brothers" skit on Saturday Night Live.

You don't need money to make money, but you do need energy.