Marketing consultant for small business; 5 reasons to use one
Introduction to marketing consultant for small business
A marketing consultant can bring many benefits. Many small business owners decide to work for themselves because they have expertise which they want to share and can see that they can get paid. However, although they usually love what they do, they often do not love marketing and selling. This can be especially difficult for the solopreneur.
In this blog I share 5 reasons to consider working with a marketing consultant for your small business.
1. Provide a supportive partnership for a solopreneur
All business owners wear many different hats. There are so many aspects to running a business that it can be hard to see the wood for the trees, and in other words have a wider perspective. Delivering the service (whether digital or in person) the part that generates money has to be balanced against a strong foundation. Finding and attracting new clients, staying on top of finances and thinking strategically about the aims and values of the business are the important bedrock of the business which also needs to be nurtured.
This is easier with another set of eyes to contribute to the situation. Very often it is possible to have a blind spot about a situation, which it is difficult to see for yourself. It is hard to read the label when you are inside the bottle.
Running a business can be lonely. Partners and closest friends may not have the entrepreneurial attitude to risk and despite everyone’s best efforts value safety over growth. Your personal life can suffer if you are so focused on work, so having a “work only” partner creates more space in your life.
In my experience it is often easier for a different pair of eyes to find the stories and the brand within a business. One extremely entrepreneurial client I worked with was such a quick-thinking hustler that he confused his staff and did not make the right appeal to his customers.
I helped him to develop his thought leadership, including an important speech at a conference which showed him to be more of an authority. This had a major impact on potential customers, but also on his own team. After one internal meeting he was told “ I really like who you are being now”, which helped to keep the team on side.
2. Supporting a flourishing business
A marketing consultant who has experience with your type of business, and who understands the pressures and opportunities can be a major asset. When everything is going well and business is growing you are busy and excited. New opportunities show up, and because you are successful you have lots of confidence you can handle it all. And if you are a natural entrepreneur you will love all the new and exciting opportunities that will present themselves.
Businesses that grow fast are called “unicorns” because they are rarer and it can be really useful to have experienced marketing eyes on whatever prize you have in mind. New shiny opportunities will present themselves and it is important to invest profits to consolidate a strategic plan.
The natural Entrepreneur loves change and often can destroy his or her own business. Michael Gerber, well known author of the EMyth series identifies how a growing successful business can be destroyed by the original founder. He identifies a situation where the initial idea and vision of the business is created by a natural entrepreneur. However as the business grows and becomes successful there is a strong need for maintenance, a managerial approach and good systems. By this time the entrepreneur may have had a lot of new and different ideas, and is not the best person to be taking all the decisions and overseeing the day to day running of the business.
I presented a weekly radio show for six years for an internet radio station which was developed by a “natural” entrepreneur. The radio station was his hobby idea – as the team in his company asked him to leave them alone for at least a year while they improved the existing organisation. They didn’t need any more new ideas!
As a talented entrepreneur he decided to set up a radio station. It went from success to success but as it grew it needed a more Managerial type to run it every day. The person with the initial energy and vision went back to his original company, where the management team was strengthened by his absence.
3. Provide better and more sustainable results
Running a small business is exciting — but it’s also a juggling act. Between managing operations, serving customers, and keeping finances in order, marketing often gets pushed down the priority list.
But of course new customers are essential to keeping a business profitable. And if the business is in the perfect niche with ideal customers that trust can help develop new services or products. Sometimes it can be difficult for the business owner to see the wood for the trees. In other words a marketing consultant will have the experience to look at the current offer and audience and can contribute to new ideas and new messaging. A second pair of experienced eyes can help avoid mistakes, and provide encouragement when courage is needed
It is lonely running your own business, results are not guaranteed and it is important to see it through a new pair of eyes. A marketing consultant knows about the difficulties and can help you take the next steps which you may be fighting.
4. A marketing consultant can help you face difficult decisions
In a larger business with shareholders and regular board meetings there is often a rift between those involved in the day to day running of the company, and those with a hard-edged look at growth and results.
Very often as a business owner you are operating with hope (a very useful attribute!) but it is important to take a cold hard look at your results and work out what they mean.
This is not always pleasant, because it seems easier to focus on “doing” rather than disrupt it all by thinking. But by focusing on the key questions around who is buying, what they value and what is not working better results can be found especially if it involves thinking “outside the box.” All businesses tend to become more complex as they grow, and the ability to find simplicity in messaging and operation can provide the needed focus. The classic way to do this is to undertake a SWOT test and look at the business through its Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats. The world is changing so fast that it is valuable to look at other factors too – Political, Economic Social and Technical environments.
When I went through this with one client we developed a different approach which was communicated in a speech at an industry conference. Interestingly as well as the positive response from clients and peers the most enthusiastic response came from members of his own team who could understand him better, and in the words of one of them felt proud and “Liked how he was being as a leader”.
5. Make your business authentic for you
Would you rather earn money and be burnt out and unhappy, or have a business that really suits you and makes you happy?
I am sure you have heard the story of the businessman who had a conversation with a fisherman on the beach. The businessman was telling the fisherman how much better off he would be if he employed other fishermen to go out and catch fish for him. The fisherman replied that he enjoyed sitting in the sun mending his nets and he enjoyed going fishing. But, said the businessman “You would have much less to do”. He got very excited talking about a plan to build up slowly with a few boats a year and all the success it would bring. The fisherman listened courteously but replied that he already had success. He caught enough fish, enjoyed fishing and liked his life as it was. The idea of growth for growth’s sake felt completely ridiculous.
We are all different. The businessman was talking to the wrong person.
When your business expresses your values and you enjoy your life the dangers of burnout and exhaustion are greatly reduced. If you haven’t considered what your values might be there is a section in my co-written book Distinctive Voice – the fearless guide to a wholehearted blog worth noticing which is worth thinking about. Writing online is the natural place for developing your authentic voice and expressing what is unique about you and your business. The more this is visible, the more the right clients and partners can know like and trust you and your marketing makes selling easier.
One client of mine had a choice between two different solutions, and couldn’t decide what to do. However after we talked it all through she discovered to her surprise that neither was right. It was a really unexpected realisation, and it was shocking to dismantle what was already created. But ultimately led directly to a path which was much more authentic and successful for her.
Conclusion
It can be lonely being a solopreneur and those nearest and dearest to you may not view life the way you do. A marketing consultant can be more experienced than an employee and can be hired when you need them. For strategy, for a specific project or simply because you value their opinion and they help you to have more confidence in your own choices.