Ways to promote?

- Flyers on cars @ the local malls

That's a no-no, you have to have a permit to do that.

- Going into like Futureshop/Bestbuy/etc. and random helping/talking to customers in the tech departments and then when leaving giving them a business card

I think you would get kicked out. Although, I haven't done that before.

I was unaware of the permit thing. I see them all the time here.. maybe it is different in Toronto, Ontario?

Well... any other suggestions for alternative methods? Anyone?

Tried this and it got me jobs (locally)...
1. Leave some attractive eye catching flyers on trains and other public transportation vehicles.
2. Make useful cardboard bookmarks, give-away cards with self-help quotes, love quotes etc. with my site info at the bottom as well as more info at the back...
3. Write the site URL at the side of my car...
4. On comfort rooms, leave some flyers too (be discreet though)...
5. Ask some local store owners and establishments if I can post some posters outside their stores, and give them a complementary pen set as a thank you...

I have done other things, but those are the top five...

spam has gone beyond cyberspace

adverise in te local paper. Try to make your customers come to you rather than spending hours chasing them. Ask to leave soem of your cards at a PC shop so that when people pick up their new computers etc they can take your card.

I'd say give away your services for free for a few days. That'll get the word of mouth spreading fast.
And stop going in to stores, as you may encounter territorial store clerks and your effort/reward ratio is pretty low anyways.

I've not tried this, but I may soon... You could go to your local Chambers of Commerce and promote a contest where you give away a free website. Once the contest was over, you would do that free website, but you would have information on businesses that were already interested in websites.

First have your marketing material well thought out & ready. Flyers, business cards, invoices, magnets, pens, etc.

Inserts in your local penny saver/nickle magazine. They can do it by zip code.

Don't just visit the local Chamber of Commerce, join it. Go to their meetings (with plenty of business cards). Let them know of your services. Host a table at their next meeting.

Local newspapers if you have one. Do a longer term contract like 6 months with them & budget the ad size based on a longer term approach. A small ad every week will get noticed & remembered much better than a large ad for only a few weeks.

Buy a mailing list of your target market & do a mailing to them. Let them know about your service, that you are available, your response time, resonable prices? , etc. Who is your target market? Not sure but just guessing; Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Insurace offices, independent business people, etc.

Just a few ideas. Hope they help.

Sam Warren
Picnic-Basket.com