How to supercharge your growth from the start

The theme of this week’s blogpost is collaboration and how you might view your “competitors”  The mindset with which you approach your... More->>

Why it’s invaluable to have an agreed marketing strategy document in a changing world

The clocks went back this weekend  Will the shorter hours of daylight affect your business  This change will mainly affect only those who work... More->>

Is good customer service as easy as it sounds?

This week has been a typical, busy week  I have been delivering a project to a client and welcoming new clients, too, while catching up on some... More->>

How to make a little go a long way; 6 tips for making your business more efficient

Bees have a limited supply of wax, so they must make the wax which they have stretch as far as possible  This is why they choose to create their... More->>

From seed to strong plant; Understanding your product’s lifecycle

After I wrote last week’s blogpost about product range management, I considered my findings for my own business I realised that one service which... More->>

The key to grow your business and enjoy it too; how to manage your product range

This week has been very busy and productive and has reminded me that no small business owner should lose sight of enjoying the venture which you... More->>

New ways to consider Packaging

There’s lots more to think about with packaging than plastic wrapping and brand name  Think about it as the means to deliver your product/service... More->>

How to sell: A guide for those who feel uncomfortable about it.

All businesses need to sell their products or services to remain commercial I’ve noticed several of my clients express unease about selling, so I... More->>

Keeping things in order; The importance of a marketing information system

This week has been all about keeping my material organised for the gradual development of my website The activity reminded me of the importance of... More->>

An introduction to marketing for small businesses

This week has been all about delivering my services to my clients  Sunflowers are also known as the “happy” flower because of their close... More->>

The small business’ introduction to pricing and discounting

This week I’ve noticed quite a few posts which have promoted discounts for products or services So, with an ‘end of summer vibe’, it’s a... More->>

Listen to these top tips on how Twitter can help you generate sales for your business to grow

This week I have reaped rewards from listening and would like to share with you my reasons for valuing social listening so highly I think that a... More->>

The seed contains the plant: four lessons for start-ups which want to grow

Last week’s blogpost addressed the topic of growth and development It concluded with a flower in bud, waiting to bloom This week I have been... More->>

Developing the business for growth

Last week I reiterated that I have applied the Ansoff matrix to identify how I plan to fill my performance gap by concentrating on two types of... More->>

Making Gap analysis work in strategic marketing planning for small businesses

Gap analysis at its simplest "is about identifying gaps and seeing how these might be filled to the profitable, long-term benefit of the... More->>

A guide for small businesses to maximise the impact of your marketing communications

Having written about Promotions last week, and thinking about what we can all learn from peacocks, I’ve spent this week developing my... More->>

Discover your inner peacock. Make promotions powerful with a strategic marketing plan

Promotions This is the final P which I introduced at the end of the previous blogpost about the P’s of the marketing mix Today I will provide you... More->>

What are the P’s of the marketing mix? Key points for small businesses to consider when implementing a strategic marketing plan.

This week, I realise that I’ve been busy with client facing work, and have therefore been considering my product, so this week’s topic is the... More->>

How to develop a healthy business skeleton with planning and control

This week, I’ve spent much of my time on physiotherapy which will strengthen my muscles and my skeleton For my business, I’ve been concentrating... More->>

An introduction to the value of making time for blue sky thinking

The series of blogposts which I write genuinely reflects the activities I’ve been doing to build my own business  I hope that if I can build a... More->>

Look inside – what would you create with what you find?: Writing courses by Charlie Bell

A list of courses and workshops I am teaching this summer and autumn HURRY! Time is running out to book Annual Weekend Writing Retreat at... More->>

Understanding your audience: An Introduction to Market Segmentation

In my last blogpost about competitor analysis I introduced the idea of segmenting the market should you choose to pursue a focus strategy whereby... More->>

Technology: friend or foe?

My last blogpost ended with the introduction of Technological, as the T in a PEST analysis, which requires more than a couple of sentences to... More->>

An introduction to the marketing tool PEST analysis for small businesses

In this blogpost l will discuss the marketing tool PEST analysis, which is used when you develop a strategic marketing plan After you have closely... More->>

6 reasons why it is relevant to include public speaking in the media /marketing planning process for a small business

Flamingoes can walk, fly and swim They choose the method which best suits their current requirement; they adapt to their need at the time A small... More->>

The small businesses guide to media planning: Reasons why you should make time for it or seek advice

It is likely that you don’t currently consider media planning to be a priority while you’re busy building your business, but I will explain why... More->>

How to identify and reach a niche target group

It can often be the case that a small business or sole trader knows exactly who they’d like to reach with their message, but doesn’t know how to... More->>

The Small Business’s Guide to Buying Advertising

Flowers are nature’s way of advertising They fulfil the key functions of good advertising by: • Attracting attention • Guiding the... More->>

Finding Influencers

“How do I reach influencers in my field”, asked one of my followers Here are my top tips for finding influencers in your chosen field My first... More->>

A guide to social media for small businesses

Social media offer great opportunities to small businesses, but may be new and unfamiliar to many; so here is a concise guide to the main platforms,... More->>