Our business, artstream, has combined three facets in the area of art and design to create one business under one roof. Due to our diversity, one of the main practices that we have moved away from is traditional advertising. It just doesn’t fit. We are in lovely, yet very rural New Hampshire.

As David mentioned in his marketing post, small businesses are bombarded with offers and “must haves” from many sources. How to choose what is right for you? At artstream, we have embraced our creative wits and forged ahead with very little traditional advertising. Sure, we are still listed in the phone book and we have developed extensive mailing lists, but mostly tradition ends there. Some of the alternative marketing we have used may not work for everyone’s business, but I do believe in connecting with people in non-traditional, (and sometimes not as comfortable ways) is key.

Through using our gallery as a reception and meeting place for other businesses and non-profits, we have hosted symbiotic events and met new clients through the process. We are selective with our choices, but plan one each quarter. This keeps us connected to the local market as well as in the know of how our city is changing and developing.

As we are located in rural New Hampshire, our closest city being Boston about an hour and a half away, we have need to reach outside of our immediate area for clients, as well as our artists and instructors.

We have kept our name out in cyberspace with a daily blog, active website, shop and flickr account. Often, this has forged long lasting relationships with artists, design clients and high quality art instructors we wouldn’t have found through traditional means. Many of them have been from Europe as much as from across North America. Interestingly enough, a few have been from less than 100 miles away. Without the website, blogs, and other Web 2.0 materials artstream’s growth would have been slower. We have found that combining the local with the global has created a fertile mix for our business to flourish in.