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Your Total Guide To Business
Summarise how Covid-19 has affected you?
I lost 60% of retained monthly marketing clients (3 of 5) and the ability to effectively land new manufacturing clients was impossible with a national lockdown preventing face to face meetings. Target customers just don't outsource £1-2k a month without meeting in person. Training work was similarly affected.
What has been your plan to continue?
I've switched to online - delivering webinars for an Institute to get in front of manufacturers and pushing more into the SME space with coaching and marketing support offers as many smaller businesses in my part of the UK (Manchester) didn't close or couldn't furlough.
As lockdown eases what measures have you put in place to get back to business?
I'll be targeting similar institutes to help them put on marketing training for their members and revisit all my contacts. I had already invested in a high profile Linkedin training programme in 2019 which I'm returning to now as I have lifetime access.
I also invested, in May 2020, utilising a small element of the bounceback loan into a membership and subscription training programme which will give my prospects in this area a greater chance of success. This is the way I want the business to develop over the next 12-24 months.
What has been the most challenging aspect of all of this?
Keeping mentally strong, positive and focused. I'm doing things now I wanted to do in my business years ago but now there is greater competition because everyone in my space is doing something similar. After five years, it's almost like starting over again.
What has been the most positive aspect?
In business I'm grateful to retained clients that kept me on as part of their team and the institute I collaborated with on ten marketing webinars.
Financially, thanks to the government acting, we've benefitted from a six month mortgage holiday, a break on council tax and holidays on credit card payments. This has been enormously helpful at a time when income was vastly reduced.
Has it made you consider how you feel about other businesses/suppliers/customers/clients for good or otherwise?
We're not supposed to treat business personally but it's hard not to. Lockdown caused a number of my clients to close down and give me very little notice. I continued to honour all my commitments on office rent, accountancy fees and anyone else working with me. As business improves I'll be putting firmer contracts in place and changing my terms to be more in my favour.
How important is this phrase to you – ‘buy local, supply local’?
I have a strong local network and am happy to support business owners where I can. I did start my business after 20 years working with clients around the world so I do have a rich and varied network.
What are your top tips at this time?
As a marketing professional, I'd encourage business owners to start doing the things to ensure they salvage 2020 and finish the year strong.
1. Greater clarity - be really clear on who your best customer is and find more like them. What type of customer values you the most and go all out to win more of them. Position yourself on the impact you can have on them and their life/business.
2. Greater creativity - when it comes to marketing yourself, think about the things you like and respond to and see how you can work that into what you do. You might surprise yourself. Ask more questions and spend more time in the world of your customers.
3. Greater consistency - commit to yourself. Turn up everyday, however and wherever you choose to do it. Frequency counts.
Get these right and you'll become more confident in your marketing and see better results.
Your parting thought?
"Set the destination but love the journey"
For more information visit www.visionb2b.co.uk
Scott Media is run by a UK-based journalist with more than 20 years' experience in the media - print, radio and television.
6 Gold View, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 8GZ
Website Email 07789 270030
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