Ready to Rumble Compete against older and bigger companies with these advertising tips that will crush the competition.

Q: I live in a small town that has about 4,000 people. Ihave the second-largest painting company in town and advertise inthe town paper along with two other painters. The largest paintingcompany in town has been here for 25 years and doesn't have toadvertise--the owner gets tons of work. How can I use advertisingto get some of his work? One other thing, this town is starting toboom. Please tell me how I can attract new customers.

A: First of all, I'm glad to hear you're in atown that's doing well. That always helps! If possible, makesure your ads carry one or more of these messages, or somethingsimilar:

• You'll meet or beat the price of any other painter in town.Or perhaps you'll charge for the paint, but not the labor onthe trim.

• Your turnaround time is fast (if you can live up to it by usingother painters).

• Create a great one-page brochure (not something that looks likeit came off a copy machine), and deliver it to homes or businessesthat need painting.

• Collect written references from people who've beensatisfied with your work in the past. Keep them in a three-ringbinder and carry them with you when you go to quote a job.

• Look outside your town for work. Pay a teenager to drive tosurrounding towns (within an hour or so of your location), anddeliver those brochures to places in need of a facelift.

You can "tie up" jobs by creating a policy thatyou'll charge a little more now, but you'll come back intwo years to do touch-ups on all trim and doors. Chances are whenthe whole house or building needs repainting, they'll call youagain because you've been back twice, and they know your workis good.

Kathy Kobliski is the founder and president of Silent PartnerAdvertising, where she oversees multimedia advertising budgets forretail and service clients. Her book, Advertising Without anAgency, was written for businesses owners who are working withsmall advertising budgets and can't afford professional help.It's available in major bookstores; from Amazon.com,Borders.com and BarnesandNoble.com; or by calling (800) 228-2275.You can reach Kathy at (315) 487-6706 (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. EST), or visit her Web site at http://www.silentpartneradvertising.com.

The opinions expressed in this column are thoseof the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended tobe general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areasor circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consultingan appropriate expert, such as an attorney oraccountant.