Regardless of what kind of small business you are running from home, PR can help throw the focus of potential customers your way and level the playing field between you and the larger competitors which your business has.
PR covers many different aspects, but one which may be particularly important to you is media relations. Getting the positive focus of journalists can really swell your business and your client base.
Here are some examples of small family-run home businesses that would benefit from PR. However, all businesses everywhere would clearly benefit from some good quality PR.
A furniture upcycling business
Say you were running a small furniture upcycling business from your garage, shed, or workshop. You would find that with a little journalistic media help from a PR business focusing on the fact that all your pieces are an eco-friendly solution, bespoke and one of a kind or refurbished to order as a private commission, could then grow your business enough to afford to rent a showroom, have employees, or due to the amount of interest, you would be able to concentrate on just doing the parts of your business you enjoy the most.
If that journalist piece was then also highlighted on social media platforms, with help from some good quality blogging keeping your business in the public spotlight, you could end up being the next Annie Sloan and being known worldwide.
A local business buying and selling homes
When people sell their homes, they would normally just go to a real estate agent; if they are ambitious (or maybe foolhardy), they might even try and sell it themselves. There are other alternatives, however, such as businesses that will buy your property for cash like Monte Buys Houses Orange County, allowing you to sidestep the delays that normally go with selling a home.
There are many people who want to move quickly and would benefit from using this service but might not be aware of it. A series of press releases about this business would be a valuable addition to any advertising and could also reach a different audience that might not respond positively to adverts.
A hairdresser
Maybe if you are a hairdresser going out visiting your clients in their own home, with a bit of PR help, you could be able to have your own in-house salon for clients to come to you, whether it is a converted room in your home or a purpose-built salon within your back yard.
Having press releases showing your business in a positive light can bring you more clients, which in turn will bring you more revenue, and that will help your business grow so you can expand. You would be able to have other hairdressers come work with you either as employees or on a rent-a-chair basis which would then bring you even more revenue. You could even end up with your very own chain of hairdressers right across America or even the world—after all, everyone needs a hairdresser. You could be the next Vidal Sassoon.
Fashion stylist
If you have just come fresh from university and you are looking to start your own fashion brand, then having a really good splash of media coverage could boost your new venture onto the catwalk and put you and your ideas into the path of those businesses looking to invest in a fresh new look to hit the shelves on the high street.
You could very well find yourself catapulted from being a struggling student to being a fashion designer and icon overnight.
Using PR within your business
While it is undoubtedly a useful tool, being able to use media, whether it is social or newswire basis, to its true potential is something best left to the professionals. When such things as press releases are done clumsily, it can do more harm than good, and putting it in the hands of experts will certainly get you the best results. They will also be able to see at a glance what is working and where your business requires further help.
The whole point of running your business is so that you can be your own boss and make the money you need to survive at the level of comfort that you want. If you are particularly ambitious, the use of media in all its positives, if carried out by professionals, is a must. However, if you try to bypass the professionals, you may find that it has quite the opposite effect on your business to that which you originally wanted.