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Did you know you can get free newspaper and television advertising for your home business? How? Just pick up the telephone and call your local media and tell them all about your home business. If they think your home business is interesting enough, they'll come out and interview you, and just like that--free publicity!

You might not know it, but this occurs much more often than you realize. Why? Because the media loves doing those kinds of community interest stories. It makes them appear more sensitive and caring about what's happening in their community, which leads to more viewers and readers--and of course more advertising revenue.

However, depending on how busy they are and what type of other newsworthy events are going on in your community, they might not immediately appear interested in your story.

In the event that happens, try calling them once a week until you get your interview. Don't be rude, but be persistent. Reporters understand about persistence, because that's how they get many of their stories.

It also doesn't hurt to be creative. I heard of a story where a home based catering business catered a surprise free lunch for a local television station. They literally walked in the front door of the tv station, and started handing out free lunches to all of the employees--starting with the security guards.

The news staff was so impressed with the quality of the food, they dispatched a news crew to interview the caterer the very next day.

Apparently, someone in higher places saw the interview on television, because two weeks later that catering company was catering lunch at the governor's mansion.

That catering job led to many more catering jobs, and other than a small ad in the yellow pages, that catering company is so busy, it doesn't need to advertise at all.

I know of another story where someone who owned a home based mobile oil change company volunteered to change the oil in the cars of the employees of a local newspaper for free. In the evening addition of that newspaper, the mobile oil change company was featured on the front page.

The company received so many telephone calls from that one newspaper article, they were booked up for months in advance.

Free publicity. You can't buy it, you can't beat it--go get it!