Right now, arguably the biggest story in the news is the crisis facing Detroit’s “Big Three” auto makers, General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. Every day, there are more stories coming out about the situation facing each of the companies - which have now banded together to try and get public funds as a bailout to the industry.

Although we could spend hours blogging about this issue, we will instead turn our focus on how you, as a small business owner, can get in the news and join the conversation to get your company some publicity. First, you have to figure out how you fit into this picture. Are you an auto dealer? A parts supplier? A secondary company that relies on the health of the car companies and/or car workers? Where do you fit in? This is critical to then developing your “angle.”

Next, simply put together a press release talking about how this issue affects you. Here’s the important part, though. You must find a newsworthy angle, otherwise your opinion is just an opinion - and not necessarily news. So do a poll, talk about some actual trends you’re seeing, or include some stats about your historical sales compared to your projected sales given the results of the bailout.

When you have your release drafted, you will want to do some research on which reporters are doing stories on this topic. Do a simple Google search to find these stories. Get the contact information for these reporters and send them your release while letting them know you are more than happy to be a quotable resource for their story. Reporters are always looking for a good quote.