Business
Time for Change? When is the right time to invest in growing your business? Ronnie Harris, VJH Marketing.
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s a business owner, you probably started the new year with plans to grow or develop your business. You may well have reviewed your business plan ready to put into place your business strategy for the coming year. Big thumbs up because, it’s crucial that you take the time out of your business to plan ahead. I’m not going to state the obvious about 2020, but I’d hazard a guess that your plans have had to shift dramatically. But isn’t the permanent state of running a business that of flux? Just as you deal with one issue, something else comes along that challenges you. Staff changes, new clients, upgrading software, maternity/paternity leave… the list goes on. Most of the time, we take changes in our stride so that we do not detract too far from our planned business goals and objectives.
It may feel daunting, but if you hope to grow your business the way you had planned at the beginning of the year, you may need to invest in professional help. That may be in the form a business consultant, financial advisor, or a marketing professional. And as I’m a marketing professional, I’ll use this as an example. Back in the 2008 recession, one of the first areas organisations rationalised was their marketing support. Business owners would then give that role to some poor unsuspecting soul whose expertise was not in marketing. Business went into survival mode. The ones that made it through the rough times then put their focus on building back their business, but this took time.
“The only constant in life is change.”
So, does this year have to be so different? Yeah, okay! Hear me out. There are certain areas of your business that have to keep going. You know your business and where you need to focus and keeping your business going will be high on the list, which boils down to retaining your current loyal clients whilst also bringing in new business. But if you’re busy managing all of the day-to-day challenges, when do you have the time to check in with your current clients or promote your business? The odd social media post, or event promo isn’t enough. How do you know if you are reaching your target audience? The term ‘spray and pray’ comes to mind; little to no regard for accuracy in the hope to score a hit.
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Heraclitus
Thankfully, most organisations realise the importance of maintaining their marketing activity, but it often falls into the ‘too hard box’, hence the sporadic nature of their marketing efforts. Those businesses that are continuing with their marketing activity remain visible and resilient to their clients, old and new.
For those brave souls who are continuing to invest in their business, whether that’s financial investment or investing time, remember your 2020 business goals. You’ve got this.
Ronnie Harris • VJH Marketing ronnie@vjhmarketing.com 07970 752660 www.vjhmarketing.com
