This is a guest post from Adarsh Thampy.

Not many business owners are directly involved in marketing their business. Why? Probably because they have an employee or entire department handling marketing and sales.

Most entrepreneurs and small business owners aren't entitled to such luxuries. Many are just starting out. So I get questions from them about how to market their business with minimum cost and maximum effectiveness. Here's what I suggest...

"The Great Depression." "The Worst Recession in our Lifetime!" It's hopeless - what can you do?

As a business owner or manager, it really depends on where you place your focus, because it turns out there is a lot you can do. Here are five things you can do right now to start to change things for your company.

#1 - "Give better Service - and remember the 'little things'."

The little things aren't so little - especially when customers are looking for reasons to cut back on doing business with you. What can you do to distinguish your business from your competition? Start with the easiest ones - get creative!

One restaurant owner changed how she presented receipts to her customers. Instead of those old, dirty black plastic folders or trays, she gave presented the bill in an ornamental box, or sometimes in a music box. This set her apart in her customers' eyes and made them feel special.

My wife doesn’t want to keep growing our business. She started this business three years ago and last year she brought me in to help because of my sales expertise. We have doubled in size in the last year and I thought things were going great. Now she wants to put the brakes on and I can’t figure out what to do about it. We argue constantly. I can’t get her to be rational about this. Do you have any ideas?