Anyone whose ever had their own business will tell you how hard it is to start up these days, especially with all the competition out there. However, thanks to the discovery of door hangers, announcing what you have to offer the masses has never been easier. Easily designed and distributed, door hangers are also cost effective - saving you money in advertising and the time spent dealing with angry people slamming doors in your face.

As far as the "look" of a door hanger goes, however, if you've seen one you've seen them all. This can ruin the chance for the success of a business coming out the gate. Can anything be done so this doesn't happen to your venture? Sure, you just have to learn which things make a person sit up and say, "Wow! I've got to check them out", and use them in your door hanger's personal style. So, in the interest of keeping you afloat in your new endeavor, here are some tips that will help your fliers avoid flying into the bottom of a trash can, without so much as a backwards glance:

Shapes - You can use any of the primary shapes on your media fliers that you wish - just as long as they don't obstruct a doorway, and fit nicely over a door knob - anything goes. And speaking of shapes, they're one of the features of a door flyer that can help get a new business rolling - or halt it in its tracks. How can this be?

For instance, if you have a long distance service company, you may want to get a bit creative by using something like a cell phone shape for the hangers you plan to deliver. This will bring your company to mind when someone finds themselves in the market for a new one, over another competitor who's using the same old interchangeable ad as everyone else.

Correct colors - It's been proven that certain colors bring people up, while others bring them down - and this extends to everything a person sees, as well. You've likely experienced suddenly feeling dull and listless for no apparent reason, at one time or another - but never dreamt that the culprit was colorless shades overcrowding an already dull environment. It's the same for a person who sees hanger after boring, lifeless hanger ads, on their office door when they return from lunch. Although it's soon thrown away and forgotten, the company it introduces does make a first - and final - impression on the person - one as humdrum and mediocre as their unfortunate door hanger.

For a positive example of subject-specific colors schemes, consider the massage business that uses door hangers in shades of soothing blue tones - reminding customers of cool lakes or streams. The customers are then more apt to call that salon when the need to relax and be coddled is needed. The same goes for the 'Mr. Fix-It" operation that advertises his company using a hammer-shaped flyer, with blended shades of dark brown and yellow, that inspires confidence in the operation's competence in building repairs.

Textures - You have some choices in the materials the hangers are made of - from paper and plastic to laminated vinyl, and a few others. They can also be designed with a certain type of "feel" to tie in with your goods or service. A fuzzy substance applied on door hanger in the shape of a cat - advertising a new kitty day care - is one good example of what textures can do. And the flyer that has a blended green background, and is made of a substance that feels like new mown grass when a hand is run over it, will undoubtedly remind potential customers that there's a new yard maintenance service they want to try out in the future.

Special touches - If you really want your business to stand out, try throwing a few different things into your door hangers your competitors haven't thought of yet. One that is sure to make people laugh is a "talking" coupon ad for an Italian restaurant - fashioned into a pizza shape, and themed in oranges and yellows, of course. When a person removes it from the door knob, it's programmed to shout out something like, "Hey you! You don't wanna throw ME away - not with the special gift I have just for you!" This is something that's sure to bring some new customers to your restaurant for dinner.

The main thing to remember is to try boosting your new venture's earning potential with creative, yet business-specific, door hangers that alert people that your services are now available. By doing it up right in pre-opening event ads, it's almost a certainty that it will stick out in the minds of, at least, some of the people. And some of them will have already filed away your business as the one they will patronize whenever they need something that you offer. Throwing in one hundred and ten percent extra when you advertise, is often the key to a successful new business.