Category: Strategic Planning

4 marketing steps you need to take at the change of season

  The change of season is a trigger for marketers to adapt their marketing mix. This post will describe 4 marketing steps that you need to take at the change of season. It  is illustrated by lupins. They are garden flowers that are drought-resistant so they are able to flourish in dry summer months. Lupins… Continue reading 4 marketing steps you need to take at the change of season

Be certain of your true goal

Every business-owner needs to be certain of their goal. We hear a lot about the importance of goal-setting in business and in life. Have you paused recently to check that you’re sure that you’ve identified your  long-term marketing objective correctly? And that you’re genuinely progressing towards it? Recently, I was reminded of the importance of… Continue reading Be certain of your true goal

How to begin a successful business recovery

Whenever a business needs to focus upon its need for recovery it is helpful to focus on a time-frame that’s dictated by your business-planning calendar. A new year or quarter should bring new opportunities and fresh energy for you to develop your business for recovery throughout the next period. Following any period of business disruption,… Continue reading How to begin a successful business recovery

What is CRM for sole traders?

CRM for sole traders does not need to be complicated. CRM is a buzz term, you may have heard Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a process that’s used by a company to monitor and analyse its interactions with its past, current and potential customers. The objective is to maximise customer satisfaction and the firm’s profitability.A… Continue reading What is CRM for sole traders?

Marketing tips for surviving winter

Trading conditions in winter are often difficult, or quieter than usual. Many small businesses need Marketing tips for surviving winter. I can reassure you, if you have a strong grip on your Marketing processes there will be actions which you can take immediately to mitigate the challenging times you face in winter.  These marketing tips … Continue reading Marketing tips for surviving winter

How to adapt tactics to stay relevant to your customers

“Our abilities to adapt, innovate, and learn will be a key factors in resilience and recovery.” Rohit Talwar and J Walker Smith , 17 Aug 2020  (Kantar Futureproof podcasts available on spotify)  Here, I focus on how to adapt tactics following any type of market disruption. Many small business owners are wondering how to adapt… Continue reading How to adapt tactics to stay relevant to your customers

Strategies to maximise your competitive advantage in tough times

A cactus has developed its competitive advantage, in order to grow tall and strong in an arid desert. Its lack of water is akin to the possibility of no customers, in tough trading conditions. So, how does a cactus survive without this basic necessity? It deploys two strategic methods from which we can learn: Survival… Continue reading Strategies to maximise your competitive advantage in tough times

How to prepare your business to pivot

Whenever there is disruption in your marketplace, or your personal life; it is important that you’re ready to pivot.It’s good for your business resilience to have some preparation in place so that you’re able to adapt whenever there’s a significant change in your personal circumstances or in your marketplace. This type of alteration is called… Continue reading How to prepare your business to pivot

9 things you need to know about niche marketing

As a small business owner you’ll hear many remarks about  others having a  preference for niche marketing,  but is it right for yours, or not? Find out  with my checklist 9 things you should know about niche marketing”. You should keep these in mind to ensure that you remain strong and don’t become vulnerable to… Continue reading 9 things you need to know about niche marketing

What is social listening?

While chatting with friends and clients about my main business service, I’ve often been asked “What is social listening and how can it assist me with marketing my business?”  Social listening is the action of paying attention to your current and potential customers across social media platforms with the purpose of generating new leads. I’ve… Continue reading What is social listening?

How to prepare to take a new product to the market

I hope that you have stayed well, as you navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal lives and commerce. In your journey of business development following the disruption that’s arisen during the lockdown period, it is now the time for you to harvest your new ideas and prepare to take them to your… Continue reading How to prepare to take a new product to the market

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 outside, like my sole trader clients, a gardener and a window cleaner.  For most of my followers, the shorter days will impact their domestic life more than their business activities.  But… Continue reading Why it’s invaluable to have an agreed marketing strategy document in a changing world

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 organisation”*. What kind of gaps should you look to fill? I have been giving thought this week to the most frequently considered type of gap, the Performance Gap. In other words, how… Continue reading Making Gap analysis work in strategic marketing planning for small businesses

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 P’s/peas of the marketing mix, a well known aide memoire for anyone who’s familiar with marketing theory.  The traditional 4P’s of the marketing mix are: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.… Continue reading What are the P’s of the marketing mix? Key points for small businesses to consider when implementing a strategic marketing plan.

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 strong business for myself in the long run, by following my own advice, I will represent the proof to my potential clients that my approach really works.  So,… Continue reading An introduction to the value of making time for blue sky thinking

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 you will aim to satisfy for a particular type of customer, not any buyer.  In such a scenario you are not serving the whole market, or “mass” market but a distinct… Continue reading Understanding your audience: An Introduction to Market Segmentation

Helping your small businesses to win and grow, an introduction to competitor analysis

If you are following my approach with the intention of writing your own strategic marketing plan, once you’ve established your objectives and you know what success will look like for you, you can begin to consider where you fit in amongst your rivals.  Who else might be competing for the same pound as you?  … Continue reading Helping your small businesses to win and grow, an introduction to competitor analysis

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 explain. I have chosen the cute, harlequin ladybird as the “pest” to illustrate technology because it captures the conflicting qualities of technology. On the one hand, like the ladybird, technology… Continue reading Technology: friend or foe?

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 examined the potential of your chosen market, it is necessary to take a wider view by examining the environment in which you plan to conduct your business. When you are… Continue reading An introduction to the marketing tool PEST analysis for small businesses

How to anticipate in a fast-changing world

Spring and Easter are both about new beginnings and looking ahead, so it’s a perfect time to consider one of the trickier activities in the marketing process: how to Anticipate your customers’ needs and why this can be useful for you and your business growth.  It is probably useful for you to know that when… Continue reading How to anticipate in a fast-changing world

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 it’s important to consider it as a key component within your marketing activity. Like a squirrel storing acorns for winter consumption, if you get your media planning in place, you… Continue reading The small businesses guide to media planning: Reasons why you should make time for it or seek advice

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 make contact with the specific group. Here I will share with you the process which I followed recently to attract a specific audience to an event which… Continue reading How to identify and reach a niche target group

Reasons for small businesses to be cheerful; Lessons in marketing from high street woes

The demise of retailers Maplins and Toys ‘R Us has been attributed, in part, to the growth in online shopping. Online giants such as Amazon have had a huge impact on the high street as more consumers see online shopping as cheaper and easier than going to the shops. What’s really driving the shift to… Continue reading Reasons for small businesses to be cheerful; Lessons in marketing from high street woes

If you run your own business and feel short of time, it’s time to think more like bamboo. Here’s why.

How does bamboo decide where to direct its limited energy? Plants use their cells called meristems to identify whether it’s time to focus on growing longer roots to find water or develop leaves above ground to capture energy from the sun. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do to get more positive energy to feed… Continue reading If you run your own business and feel short of time, it’s time to think more like bamboo. Here’s why.