The New Business Starter Kit

With a fresh perspective and a brand new year of opportunities ahead, January is the perfect time to throw caution to the wind and start a business! Turning your big idea into a start-up is a huge, exciting step, and when the time comes that you’re ready to unleash it on the world, you’re going to need all the right tools to help you do it. That’s where we step in…

While it’s great to utilise online marketing methods such as email and social media, print marketing still stands strong as a viable and cost-effective way to spread the word. A study exposed by printpower.eu found that print products such as direct mail, newspapers and catalogues had a consumer trust rating of 63% while digital marketing scored just 25%. So not only do products such as business cards, flyers and booklets offer you a tangible platform to get creative with design and branding, but as online marketing is often over-saturated, they can also help you gain the trust of new and untapped audiences.

To help give you a head start on your marketing, we’ve put together a New Business Starter Kit showcasing all the print you’ll need to lay the foundations for your business.

Business Cards

Strong first impressions are key to making connections, so make sure yours is on point with an eye-catching business card. Business cards are a powerful networking tool and with the right design and a good quality stock, can suggest to potential clients and investors that your business is confident, trustworthy and professional. Take them to networking events, pop them in welcome packs and have a couple on hand so you never miss an opportunity to put your business on the map!

Image: Instagram.com

Letterheads

In the early days of setting up a business, you'll have to send out a lot of correspondence to potential suppliers, investors and clients. Letterheads featuring your logo and branding are often essential as they serve as proof that you actually represent a business, reassuring the recipient that you’re a genuine trader. They can also help to make an immediate impact and establish your brand identity from the start. With a simple but stylish design printed on sturdy, luxurious paper, they'll provide you with a way to highlight your professionalism, while making sure your recipients know that your business pays close attention to detail.

Image: cocorrina.com

Image: fuzzco.com

Flyers

Flyers are one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to reach your audience. Not only are they fairly simple to design, they’re also highly versatile, allowing you to promote any number of things, from the grand opening of your store to an introductory offer. Flyers present you with the opportunity to get out there and speak to potential customers face to face, which is often the best way to get the word around. Hand them out locally, post them around your neighbourhood or leave a stack in a store, bar or coffee shop for people to pick up as they please. Just don’t forget to add your website URL, social media handles or the location of your store or office so that people know where to find you if they refer back to the flyer at a later date.

Image: behance.net

Posters

If you’re running an introductory workshop or promoting your product, event or service, nothing is as effective at capturing attention as a well-placed poster. Whether you hang them in a window, pop them in an A-Frame or take them to the streets, posters have the potential to really wow your audience. Even better, they don’t cost much, and yet with a creative, compelling and striking design, they can rapidly increase awareness of your business and send a surprising amount of footfall your way.

Image: canva.com

Image: canva.com

Booklets

The benefit of a booklet is that it provides you with a marketing platform that’s both visually appealing and information-rich. Ideal for the likes of product catalogues, menus, brochures or portfolios, booklets are extremely versatile and affordable. They offer plenty of choice on stock, size and binding and lots of scope for creativity, making them perfect for showcasing your new business in a detailed, engaging way.

Image: creativemarket.com

Stickers

Not only are stickers super fun, but there are lots of brilliant ways that they can be used to promote your new business. You could print your logo on them with a friendly, welcoming message and hand them out at events or to customers in your shop. You could use them to seal your packaging or as a stylish finishing touch to your products. You could even design a sticker that gives nothing away but your logo and/or website URL, then leave them in various locations around town. This anonymous marketing ploy might just play into someone’s curiosity enough for them to visit your website to find out more!

Image: printsome.com

Image: pinterest.com

Image: pinterest.com

Postcards

It’s never too early to start thinking about customer loyalty. When a customer uses your business for the first time, you could offer them a little thank you treat printed on a postcard such as 10% off their next purchase. It may seem like a small detail, but special touches such as this can help to establish your company as personable and dedicated to its customers, which is bound to inspire the same sentiment in return.

If you’re planning a grand opening at your venue, postcards can also make a fun alternative to the standard invitation, making them perfect for getting people excited about the event. Hand them out in the street, post them around the local area or leave some in various locations around town. The great thing about postcards is that they’re small enough for passers-by to pick up and pop in their pocket, so if it catches the eye while they’re out and about, they can grab one to take home and look at later.

Image: hazyskiesdesigns.com

Image: designinspiration.com

If you need any extra help with setting up your business, check out our online hub, instantprint Start-Ups for all the tips, guides and inspiration you’ll need to rocket-launch your business to success!