How consistent is your marketing? How much time do you really put aside to market your business? Really think about it. In my Big, Fat Survey of the Year 2020, the majority of respondents said they spent 5 hours or fewer a week on marketing their business. I’ve been asked a lot about how small […]
Read more
How often do you wish you could have beautiful photos for your marketing that don’t cost the earth? Me too! There is a way and it sits in your pocket/hand/bag… it’s your smartphone. That’s right! You can have lovely photos you can use in your everyday marketing, and you can use your smartphone to get […]
Read more
Something that is a challenge for all small business owners is organising their time effectively. That’s why I decided to speak to Michelle Collins of Pink Spaghetti. As well as running her own business, Michelle and her team look after a variety of small businesses. So, who better to talk through time organisation tips and […]
Read more
Branding. When you hear that word, what do you think about? A logo? Most people start their business without really thinking about branding. But think about how much we are visual beings. Thinking about branding for your business is hugely important and it extends beyond your logo. That’s why I decided to have a chat […]
Read more
How to write an award entry is a guest post by Karen Campbell from Karen Campbell Marketing. Winning an award for your business can not only elevate your profile but it can translate into commercial success and open doors never thought possible. But how do you go about entering? How do you write an award […]
Read more
2020 has certainly posed many micro business marketing challenges. I came into the year having decided my goals for the year. At the end of January, my husband and I went on holiday for two weeks. We kept an eye on what was happening in China. Two weeks after we got back, I knew that […]
Read more
Does the idea of presenting make you run for the hills? For every small business owner, being able to present their ideas, products or services and their business is a must. That’s why I decided to interview Andrea Pacini of Ideas on Stage and get his top presentation tips. I attended one of his presentations […]
Read more
You might have heard of Google My Business (GMB). You might even have your listing. But, are you optimising everything that it offers? For small businesses, I believe GMB is hugely important. When you think about how much we rely on Google these days, it’s astounding how many businesses don’t know what it is or […]
Read more
When you hear the words case study, what do they make you think of? In any business, it’s important to show potential customers how you can help them. Case studies are a perfect way to do that. If you’re thinking you wouldn’t know the first place to start building a case study for your business, […]
Read more
Your website visitors matter. Let’s make sure they take action You slaved over your marketing plan, carefully crafting every word, graphic and customer-facing marketing material. Finally, finally, they’ve arrived at your website. What (and where) next? Don’t underestimate how critical a tool your website is. It’s where ‘do or die’ happens – where your potential […]
Read more
Three fundamentals of marketing that should NEVER be overlooked Among all the buzz terms, the new must-have marketing app launch and the latest strategy to take to social media, it’s easy to overlook some of the basics of marketing that could really do with a second look. Today I want to dispel some myths and […]
Read more
Given up on your marketing? Here’s what to do about it. We need to talk about your marketing. And how it’s NOT going anywhere. Social media, email, PPC, direct mail. Whatever the tactics you’ve tried, it all feels so: Uninspiring Intimidating Depressing Overwhelming ALL of the above (and much more besides) Time to step back […]
Read more
There’s plenty of proof out there to show just how important marketing is for even the smallest of businesses (spanning many decades). And yet way too many companies STILL underspend. Perhaps this is partly down to a misunderstanding as to just how much should be spent (and where). Or maybe a lot of it is […]
Read more
Besides your wedding or the odd family-milestone photoshoot, you probably haven’t worked with a professional photographer before, in a professional capacity. And it’s no secret that photographers don’t come cheap (or at least the talented ones don’t). So if you’re investing in professional headshots, you may want to know how to make the most of […]
Read more
We’ve all been to a business expo and had a hit or miss experience. Now, I firmly believe that expos are brilliant for small businesses. Particularly the smaller, local ones. At this point, you might be thinking: “Well, you would say that you’re a marketer.” But there really are a multitude of reasons why they […]
Read more
It’s nearly February. How’s your new year, new business going? If your marketing resolutions have already fallen flat, you find yourself among the vast majority – with 80% failing by this date in the year. Urgh. Talk about disheartening. But don’t give up hope just yet. There’s probably a very good reason why you’ve failed, […]
Read more
On Thursday 18 October, I headed down to Bristol. Not randomly! I had my ticket for the Festival of Female Entrepreneurs. Taking a whole day out of your business needs to be worth it. After all, there is only me and if I’m not working, I’m not earning money! Let me tell you that this […]
Read more
Many business-to-business (B2Bs) think that they can’t take part in Small Business Saturday. They think it’s a day for retail businesses. They are wrong! Small Business Saturday is for all small businesses. You just need to work out what you’re going to do. I’ve been involved in Small Business Saturday, as a small business owner, […]
Read more
This is a guest post by SEO expert, Josh Hamit from Improve My Search Rankings. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a vast field. There is so much to learn and so much to implement that it can easily be overwhelming. However, at the core of all SEO is just one basic concept: providing value to […]
Read more
At some point, you’ll need to work with a graphic designer. There will be something that you need, whether it’s a brochure, advert or logo. Regardless of how adept you are at designing images, you simply can’t do it all yourself. Good design takes time; time you don’t necessarily have. In addition, your skills may […]
Read more