TV is perceived as being expensive, and there is some justification for that perception. The cost of a professionally produced TV commercial can be astronomical, but it doesn't have to be. The cost of a TV campaign with adequate reach and frequency might seem staggering, but it can be very affordable. There are ways bootstrap marketers can afford TV, which we will cover here.

A requisite to use network TV efficiently is to have offices convenient to the majority of the viewing audience in your network TV market's Area of Dominant Influence (ADI). This may be relatively easy to accomplish in a city of less than one million people, but nearly impossible in a major market such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles; and very difficult in cities like Washington, D.C., Kansas City and San Francisco. However, a group of independent companies serving different geographic markets could, conceivably, pool their resources and support a cooperative network TV campaign (as do independent operators of national franchises).

A TV station may offer to produce a commercial for you, but it's not likely to be any good. There's no point in spending money to run TV spots that won't generate sales. In fact, airing a poor quality TV commercial can do irreparable damage to your firm's image. An effective TV commercial can be professionally produced for as little as $1,000, but you'll need to shop very carefully for the right advertising professional and/or production house. You'll probably get the best deal from a small agency or a freelancer with big-agency experience.