5th Birthday

Today marks 5 years in business for Optimise Marketing. So, I’ve decided to brush the dust off the blog and share a few insights from being in business for 5 years. I’ve picked my top 5!!! 

Plan:

When you are starting out in business everything takes longer than you imagine. So try to work some contingency time into all your plans. Planning is key to success if you want to grow your business.

Read/Upskill:

There are so many amazing business brains out there that have been through this all before and can help you navigate whatever particular obstacle you are currently facing in trying to grow your business. In the past year the book Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith particularly resonated and helped me look at some areas of my life and business differently.

Mindset/Mentor:

Woah!! This is huge, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to have the right mindset about your business. Creating and growing a business is hard, you can face many trials and setbacks and it can be really tough to remain positive sometimes. It’s very important to ensure you put in place supports to keep you going when things get tough. Having a mentor or coach can provide you  with a sounding board, discuss challenging aspects of your business and keep you focused on achieving your business goals particularly when it feels difficult. There’s a phrase – everything seems impossible until it’s done, with help, it becomes so much easier.

Network:

You need to get out and discuss your business with other people. There are so many benefits beyond the most obvious potential for new sales. It will help you hone your sales pitch and help you improve your business by learning from others. It can help improve your confidence and make new friends who are potentially going through similar business issues to yourself. You might even have fun! I am a member of various business networks and through them I now have an informal network of friends who meet over coffee to get out of our businesses occasionally but also to discuss in an informal way some areas of business that we know these people understand and can help us with and vice versa – it’s also great to be able to help others with your experience!

Nurture your clients:

Without your clients you do not have a business, so, look after them. One of the main reasons clients switch to competitors is not cost related it has more to do with indifference. If you aren’t being proactive enough with communication they may feel neglected. Set client expectations clearly and occasionally surprise them with small acknowledgements of their business. They’ll reward you with their loyalty.

Ok, that’s 5 – I could do lots more and I haven’t even mentioned digital marketing. I hope some of the above are useful to you in growing your business, last thing, do remember to celebrate the wins!!! I’m taking that to heart and I’m off to celebrate now with some cake!!!

P.S. Couldn’t help myself. I can’t finish and not mention that I work with businesses who need additional help with creating a digital marketing strategy for their business. Have a look at the process and see if it’s something that could help you move your business forward this year.