Go down to your local office supply store and invest a few dollars in some blank business cards. Return home, fire up your computer, open Microsoft Paint and create your first advertising tool. Include your home business name, your website address and your contact information. Design a catchy logo for your card. Give them out to everyone you know. Encourage your friends and relatives to pass them out as well. Attach one to all of your correspondence. Be creative and consider other possibilities for circulating your business cards.

Go down to your local print store and get an estimate for designing and printing bumper stickers. They are relatively inexpensive. If the cost is too high, create your own through Microsoft Paint or, if you can afford it, invest in a good software program for developing graphics and text. Include your work from home business name and website address. After you're done, find a printer who will produce your stickers at a cost you can afford (any friends or family who know someone?). When you have your bumper stickers in hand pass them out to everyone. Put the first one on your own car.

Create a T-shirt that has your home business name and your website address. If you cannot afford to have it done, develop your own design, print it out on your computer, buy a T-shirt and iron it on. If you have the extra money, create a few for family and friends. Wear your T-shirt everywhere, particularly where you might find your target audience.

Think about the free publications (Nickel Ads, IGA Shopper etc.) that you find at your local supermarkets, convenience stores or fast food restaurants. Get about three of these newspapers and take them home. Sit down and create an advertisement that describes your home business, gives your website address and mentions your contact information. Thumb through these periodicals and look for a section or heading about placing an ad and follow their directions.

Turn on your computer and go into Microsoft Works (or your graphics and text software). Using their templates, create a flyer that has all the essential information about your work from home business. Print out as many as you need and start distributing them. Disperse them in your neighborhood, retail establishments, grocery stores, restaurants, local colleges or anywhere else that you can (legally) advertise your home based business.

The most powerful (and least expensive) form of advertising is word of mouth. This idea can be better developed after you get the ball rolling for your home business but, it will be the best and cheapest way to market your work from home venture. Once your reputation is established for providing excellent customer service your buyers will spread the good news to friends and family. Provide first rate service to your clients and your free publicity will develop.