Buy or rent a blimp, hot air balloon or other inflatable to build your carwash's name recognition and make an impression on potential customers.

Balloons: Many companies offer hot air balloons and other helium-filled attention grabbers that work to attract attention the same way a spotlight works at night.

Consider flying a tethered blimp outside your wash. They range in size from 12 to 40 feet and can be flown up to 150 feet above your carwash. Paint one with your logo or slogan and watch your wash's recognition soar with it.

Cold-air inflatables: Also available are affordable cold air inflatables. These units sit on the ground or rooftop and have fans blowing into them. They range in size from six to 60 feet tall. The average size is 30 feet and costs $10,000 - $15,000.

Use low-cost printed materials to separate your carwash from the rest.

Business cards: One of the least expensive, high-impact tools you can use to market your wash is a business card. An effective business card will distinguish you and your carwash.

Your card should include - at the least - your name, company, address, phone, fax number and slogan. Never cut corners when producing your card - use the best paper you can afford and make sure it is professional.

There are numerous ways to dress your card up, to make it more useful or give it more impact:

 Use the back of the card - it costs almost nothing and is otherwise wasted space.

 Use the info-card. This is a business card with up to eight panels. It is an ingenious print product that lets you create a business card-sized brochure.

 Try using your business card as an active selling tool. Print a double-sided card and on one side print the phrase, "Present this card for (a special discount)." Whenever you talk to a potential new customer, fill in the blank.

Brochures and mailouts: Turn your brochures into effective marketing tools. Some carwashes use out-of-date or incomplete brochures that keep customers away. Many don't use brochures at all.

Some washes use overpriced, overproduced brochures that are not effective enough to warrant their high cost. Unlike advertising inserts that you should spread generously, brochures should be distributed more selectively - to those who have requested specific information or to carefully targeted prospects.

Gift certificates: Gift certificates are a low-cost, revenue-producing marketing tool. Printing gift certificates is like printing money. You won't be sorry.

Gift certificates work well for carwashes that have never used them before. People are always on the lookout for new and unusual gift ideas. Gift certificates fit the bill perfectly.

Start your gift certificate program by printing a sign or adding a line to your ad that says, "Ask about our gift certificates." A quality paper stock is recommended for the certificate printing. Include your wash's name at the top, leaving a space for a dollar amount or service, and leave room for the recipient's name.

Don't have a cutoff date. Gift certificates should last forever. Telling a customer that the time has run out on their gift certificate is guaranteed to generate ill will.

Banners and signs: Don't overlook the value of banners and signs in positioning your carwash, generating traffic and getting you noticed.

A few tips:

 Proofread exhaustively. Check and double-check spelling. Mistakes happen often and they are a turnoff to customers.

 Make a sign you can commit to. Spend enough money to make a great sign, then leave it alone.

 Keep the message short. Drivers have only a few seconds to read your sign, so stick to 10 words or less.

 Make sure zoning regulations permit a sign or banner, then make the biggest, most obvious sign the regulations will allow.

Posters: Economical, high-impact marketing tools, posters pack a punch. Large, four-color posters that look more like artwork than advertising can be very effective tools. Best of all, they aren't as expensive as you might think.

If you use traditional techniques to produce a four-color poster, color separation and printing are not cost-effective for short-run prints. However, the whole process can now be completely computerized. You can save hundreds of dollars if you only need a few dozen posters.

Hang them around your carwash. Some carwashes frequently change their posters, keeping their decor interesting to customers.

Distribute posters to customers. If your poster is a piece of art, people will hang on to it and use it to decorate a room or office. Your message becomes permanent.

For more information, please go to www.carwash.com, click on the "archives" icon and use the following keyword in an article search: promotions.