Marketing

One of the keys to grow a business is marketing.  You always read about marketing budgets being cut by companies during a recession.  Why?  That's easy, it's because there is never a direct correlation between marketing/advertising expenditure and new customers; it's just a bucket of costs without any obvious returns.  It would be wonderful to be able correlate the money spent on marketing to new clients, so you knew that if you spent £100 you get 1 new client, it would be a Utopia, but will never happen.

The power of marketing your business is not to instantly get new clients, but promote your company’s existence within the mind of your potential client.  To let them know you are in the market, to let them know that you have a service they can use; all with the hope that one day, you will tip that balance and they will give you a try. 
But, a one off marketing event is still not enough; you need to build up that sense of longevity.  Few customers will try something new; most will wait to see if you are around in the a few months/years.  They operate under the assumption that if you are still around and trading, then you must be doing something right.

So marketing is crucial to ensure that they don’t forget you exist; regular marketing builds upon this, and grows the confidence with potential clients.

To this end my wife and I spent a fun evening preparing our marketing packs to be handed out this Wednesday, at this year’s first customer training day. 

Quiet before the storm

Friday's are notoriously quiet days when servicing solicitors as this is the day they prefer to finalise the property sells.  So I had a quiet day.  Which is a nice change of pace, as this week we have been hitting the phones ahead of our first of 4 free training days for solicitors.
 

Work life balance

Work-life balance is a buzz word that is thrown around by company's in an effort to make them look like a caring company.  It interests me, though, that companies that vigourously beat their chest over this concept are the ones that actual discourage its employees from having a life outside the office.

A prime example was my recent adventure with the American defence company.  They trumpet, from the roof-tops, that they champion postive work-life balance.  But unfortunately this was only lip-service as they had carefully planned a demanding timescales that required the majority of the staff to consistently to work weekends.

But now that I am in charge of my own destiny, I feel it is important to ensure that I follow though on this idea and ensure that I keep the work life balance right.  I think when I first setup the company, I would flog myself, maybe because of the self-doubt, to work all hours and through the night to the negative of my health and the family dynamics, and never understood the benefit of working for yourself.  But I've started to understand the game now, work hard, but also make sure that you make time for yourself.

'Feel the fear and do it anyway'

I have overcome one of my demons today - 'cold calling'.

A critical activity for any business looking to grow, but one of the hardest areas for me.  Even though I have had a customer facing role throughout my career, and I can happily do face-to-face meetings all day, I find talking on the telephone my Achilles heel. 

But I've achieved it today.

But there is no rest for the wicked, and like the proverbial little hamster I'll be back on the wheel again tomorrow as we kick off this year's customer training events.  I just hope that it gets a little easier, but somehow I don't think I'll ever be truly comfortable with it.

Been there, done that...

So I've been there and done it.  I have worked since leaving university, working my way through the ranks from graduate software engineer up to managing software departments.  

Then came the recession.

You would think working in the defence industry you would be spared the effect of a shrinking economy, but alas no.

So what do you do when there is a global recession and managers are as in demand as rotten fish.  Do you sit on the shelf and lick your wounds, awaiting the return of the good old days, or do something about it?

Don't get me wrong, I was badly shaken by the redundancy, even though the company dissolved the department I managed, and reduced the total workforce by 50%, I still felt it was something personal.  But with no jobs on the horizon, I felt it was time for a drastic shift, so we invested in a new business.

In the height of the recession we invested in a new business selling services to solicitors, but it was an up hill battle getting your foot in the door, but during this economic climate, do you really blame them for not switching to a new provider, just in case it doesn't survive, and they are left in the lurch.

But even after the huge investment, there was that same nagging doubt of not being a department manager, and being made redundant. So I looked for another position, back under the yoke, and I got that job; it was with a large American company, managing a software department.  But our ethos were so different, it was never a good fit.  Where I see people as the engine room of any business, and to make a business work well you work with the people to build their pride in the their work and plan effectively, you'll get a quality product and an engaged workforce.  But in this company, it was a numbers game.  Quality was never a really an issue, and the customer being offered platitudes and excuses rather than a top-shelf product.

It end as soon as it started, and surprisingly, my mind is at peace.  I don't need to provide myself to a stuffed shirt, who sees employees as cannon fodder; as my wife said, 'you can see why so many Americans strive to be entrepreneurs'.

The best thing with this shift in focus is I now know what I want, and what I need to validate myself.  It is to prove myself to myself.  The business has been happily ticking over for a number of years with the support of my darling wife, and it's doing okay.  Now it is time to focus on our future, and the grow the business.  

So my blog is born.  I intend to put down my thoughts, our success, and failures as we strive to grow.