Tip of the week: Offer a first-time customer deal you can afford

A deal brings new faces, but only if you have counted what it costs you. A deal that sells below your cost is not marketing, it is a quiet loss.

Before you announce anything, work out your cost and your profit on the item. Then decide how much profit you can give away. Instead of cutting the price of your main product, try a small extra: a free drink with a meal, free delivery within one area, or a small gift after the second visit.

A food vendor in Mwanza might offer "Buy lunch three times, get the fourth day's juice free". Regular customers come back, and the juice costs very little.

Limit your deal in time or quantity so it feels real, and tell customers the end date honestly. Keep a note of how many people used it and whether they returned afterwards.

This week: design one deal where the cost to you is small, and write down your numbers before you announce it.