Then there's the daily dose of ritual humiliation as one or another ex Banker is led shamefaced to the media stocks and pelted with accusations of avarice and greed.

Reflecting on the country's mood as this daily soap opera lurches from one seedy soundbite to the next, I think it's fair to say that as you think about how to market your business, the one thing you have to be able to communicate to your customer is that they can trust you.

Gone are the bad old days of incomprehensible and often ludicrous marketing jargon, offers screaming from the page promising everything and delivering nothing. We live in cash strapped times and a new era is dawning.  Savvy businesses are returning to that age old formula of offering products that people need at prices they can afford.

The public is crying out for trust, and trust should be the WMD in your marketing arsenal.  You need to let your customers know they can trust you when you speak to them through your marketing campaign.

Do you know your customer, do you know what their aspirations are and do you know what they can afford? It's the most important research you will ever engage in, it will inform your buying decisions and it will enable you to talk to potential customers in language they can understand as you offer them products they need and want.

How many children are there between the ages of 0 to 4 in your area? Find out what the average household income is in your area and with that information estimate what you think those parents of your 0 to 4's will spend on essential equipment over four years. 

You can easily find this information at your local council's small business and enterprise section and in most cases you can access it online.

Scan the shops in your catchment area, the type of shops will give you a good idea of the financial health of your customer base. Take the temperature of your local shopping scene regularly. If you know who's opening and who's closing, who's got special offers, how loud they are and how long they run you will be better able to understand how your customers feel about spending money. If you know what price points suit your customer base then you are halfway to making a buying decision.

I am assuming that you like interacting with the public and that you think of every customer that steps through your door as an old friend or a new challenge.

Your premises are in a reasonable location with adequate footfall and you have utilised what space you have to the best effect, making your customers feel comfortable and showing off your products to their best advantage.

So, you can be trusted, you know your customer base, you're a people-person and you have created a comfortable environment in a good location.

Now you have to talk to as many potential customers in your area as you can reach, you have to let them know you're there and you have to give them a reason for coming to your store.

It is generally accepted that you should allocate at least 3% of your gross profit to marketing your business. However, at this point in our economic cycle when most people have a vice like grip on the purse strings you might consider working harder and spending a little more.

Advertising in local papers and journals and local radio can be very effective and there are plenty of thriving local parenting journals and magazines around the country. There are also a few online regional parenting sites popping up as well, have a look at www.netmums.co.uk which has a site for most regions across the country.

Research them, look at the type of topics they cover and the advertising they carry and match them with your customer profile. Ring them up or go online, they will all have statistics on who their audience is.

NEGOTIATE, I have bought millions of pounds worth of advertising over the last 12 years and I can tell you that relatively speaking there has never been a cheaper time to advertise. We all have to work harder for less return which means that your marketing budget should go further too.

So, you know who your customer is, you know how to talk to them, you know what they want. Now you have to motivate them and there is no better motivation than making someone a good offer!

Most of the manufacturers have deals out there at the moment but the choices and deal combinations can be overwhelming.

But you will have been reading the parenting magazines diligently, you will have been browsing the parenting websites and inhabiting the chat rooms.  You will know the award winning products you will know the popular choices and you will know which of those products perfectly suit your customer profile and purse!

Choose the products first, then look for the best deal. Don't be swayed by incredible discounts on products that don't match your customer's aspirations and needs.

At least 90% of your marketing should be aimed at letting you're customers know you are there, allowing them to relate to you and motivating them to walk through your door with a good deal.

Once they've walked through your door, the advertising has done its job and it's your turn in the marketing cycle. Make your customer feel they were right to make the decision to come and visit your business. Let them know they were right to decide to trust you when they made a purchase.

If you can satisfy your customer in that way they will come back and they will spread the word, and you will have tapped into the most effective viral marketing system on the planet.

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