Participate in community service. We regularly participated in community service. We adopted a highway, volunteered at the chamber and sponsored sports teams. By doing community service people see you as committed to the community and they believe you are in business to stay.

Delight your customers - every time. We can no longer just sell a project, do the work and move on. Customers are increasingly selective and they want to be "delighted" not just served. Set up company policies that take customer service to a new level. By delighting customers you will generate a buzz with word of mouth advertising.

Enlist other to help. Partner with other companies in your field to do joint marketing, hold local events or link to each others websites. There are many creative people in the business - ask for help.

Use your current contacts. Continue marketing to your clients on an ongoing basis. We tried to have some type of contact with our clients at least four times a year either through email, personal contact or a mailing of some sort.

Write an e-mail newsletter. This is a low cost way to stay in front of your database. Just make sure the newsletter is not all about you and your company. Add interesting news about the construction industry, give them tips for home improvement and make it fun.