If you are serious about growing your Sole Proprietorship, you likely incur advertising expenses every year.
The purpose of this article is to make sure you are not missing any of the typical advertising expenses common to Sole Proprietors.
The big picture - Let's use a two-fold categorization of advertising expenses: Offline Advertising and Online Advertising.
Offline Advertising Expenses.
Print Advertisting Media.
This includes space ads in newspapers, magazines and newsletters.
Coupon Decks.
This includes Val-Pak and other similar cooperative advertising efforts.
Radio and Television Advertising.
This is frequently the most expensive type of advertising, so don't forget to deduct any commercials you pay for, as well as any costs associates with the production of the those commercials.
Copywriting.
Do you hire a professional copywriter? Sale Letters, Brochures, Catalogues and Other Printed Promotional Materials.
The costs to create, produce and distribute these items are all deductible.
Billboards.
Got any of those around town? Online Advertising Expenses.
Website expenses.
If you use your website as a promotional tool, there are many expenses involved here, such as website hosting services and your internet service provider.
Search Engine Optimization.
Do you spend money to make sure your website is properly optimized for search engine results? Pay-Per-Click Advertising.
Yahoo and Google are the two most popular service providers in this arena.
Ezine Ads.
Do you place space ads in online newsletters? Banner Ads.
Do you spend money to hang your shingle on other websites in cyberspace? Affiliate Program.
Do you spend any money to promote and maintain an affiliate program? The biggest expense here is likely the commissions you are paying your affiliates to sell your products for you.