With a plethora of marketing mediums available, realtors are often faced with a difficult question: What is the best and most cost-effective way to market their business/listings? Well folks, search engine optimization it is!

I’ve been a customer in the real estate market for many years, and have noticed that most real estate agents have marketing that simply sucks (I’m sorry to admit it). I’m sick and tired of seeing a dressed up agent in front of a home, with some Kool Aid smile, trying to get me to purchase a property. This marketing is over and done with, especially with the economy in the toilet.

For all of you small business owners out there, the times are tough and you need to do everything you can to save a dime and increase profits. Now is the time to re-think your marketing efforts and make a real change. I’m not talking about jumping out of bed and being semi-inspired to work on marketing because you read this article, or had a tasty glass of fresh squeezed orange juice then had a marketing epiphany. You need to be truly inspired. This is not a walk in the park.

Living on organic products that are pesticide-free, chemical-free, sustainable and healthy is truly the way to go — but — where to start? Where does one find organic products? Are there local eco-friendly businesses you can support? How about farmers; are there local farmers you can purchase your fruits and veggies from?

With the economy still in the toilet, and many businesses suffering, I’ve found that restaurants have been taking a big hit. With less spending money, people are choosing to cook at home or eat inexpensive food as opposed to eating at nice, casual restaurants. If they do go out to eat, appetizers and dessert are often skipped, which significantly decreases the total bill. Small bills means less profit for restaurants as well as the waiters/waitresses who make their tips on a percentage of the total bill. Simply said, for restaurants to really survive, and survive without stressing, a lot has to be done.