How To ..... GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN THE RECESSION

Today I went on a Business Link course (www.businesslink.gov.uk/east) entitled, "Creative ways to enable your business to grow in the current recession."

The speaker was Bea Markham, of Competitive Edge Marketing, who has over 30 years management, sales and marketing experience in Blue Chip and SME companies.

She started by saying that the two critical areas for success in any business are:
- Mindset
- Strategy

Mindset is all about keeping yourself driven and focused on your company goal. Bea stressed that as you begin to change your thinking then you immediately need to start changing your behaviour.

As John Maxwell said, "Begin to act the part of the person you would like to become."

A positive Mindset is supported with a positive Strategy to ensure you're targeting the right areas and groups of people. This is basic marketing principle of breaking down the population into a target audience.

- Who is your audience? Male or Female? Young or Old? Corporate or Residential?
- Where do they live?
- How do they think?
- What would they buy, plus any associated products?
- What needs do they have?
- What are their problems?

Once you know who your target audience is and where they reside in the world then you can tailor your product or service to meet their specific needs, wants and desires.

In the current economic downturn Bea recommends that any marketing should be value driven. This is focused marketing that reaches who it should be reaching in order to make the all important sale.

It should be at a 1-2-1 level that's more personal and interactive. Is this why social networking is in our faces at the moment? But, is it personal? Do we really have a personal connection with the other person that we twitter with or is it just a faceless interaction?

Bea had a rather interesting phrase,"How do you choose a brown cow in a field?". I love this saying as I've never heard it before. It's asking, how do you differentiate yourself from your competition?

Bea then focused on websites, blogs, social networking and e-mail marketing as additonal ways of highlighting to the world your differentiation. If you're not able to meet or physically talk to people face-to-face then these are a fantastic means of connecting with people around the globe.

Of the 25 or so delegates attending, I was the only one who has a blog set up!

The key message of the course was in summary:

- Mindset and focus enable you to succeed
- Identify your client and position your product and/or service
- Eliminate ineffective marketing programmes
- Improve web based strategies and measure everything

I'll let you know how I get on putting this into practice! Maybe you could keep me posted on your own efforts, tips and techniques for getting through the next couple of years.

Have fun.