One of the most common questions that my clients come to me with is "Where do I begin?".  I sit them down on the black level chair opposite my desk, and instruct them to look out the window at the view of the river 15 stories below.  When I can sense the look of panic has disappeared, I ask them what they want people to know about their business/product/etc.  They typically will think briefly and start spitting out instructions about what they visualize their television commercial saying and doing.

The truth is, almost all of them, no matter how clueless they first think they are have a strong notion of what their commercial should look like.  Almost all of them express disgust over their local advertising.  (The loud echo of a used car salesmen screaming at the camera is what comes to mind when I think of "local" television commercials.) 

After they give me a brief description of what they are and aren't looking for, I usually help them to solidify their concept.  Now, for the small business who may not have the budget to hire someone like myself, there is no need to worry.  There are a few steps that I would recommend to anyone getting ready to create an ad.

1) Know what you are selling. 
    While I know this may sound elementary, many stores or
     companies have many different specialties.  Know which one you
     want to feature.

2) Establish a Budget
    Don't worry, there is a television commercial for every budget, and
     no the cheap ones don't have to look like the "local" commercials I
     previously described.

3) Hire a Production Company
     You need someone to make your commercial.  These are the people
     who will do it.  Make sure you have seen some of their previous work.
     Any good company will have a website with at least one sample of   
     their work, preferably more.  Don't try to pick up a camcorder or use
     your friend's son who is good with a camera, it will show!

4) Get Your Ad on TV
     Call up your local cable company and ask about pricing and rates to
     put your new commercial on the air.  Many companies offer rates of  
     $20 -$25 per airing which is really a drop in the bucket considering the
     level of exposure these ads can provide.  If you don't want to handle
     this yourself, most production companies offer this service for a  
     small fee.

Once you have done all of this, you really will see the returns start to pile in.  It may not be immediate, though you usually will see results within the first week or two your ads are running.  I've had clients nearly double their income in one year.  No other medium can even come close to that kind of exposure.