Are we, marketing firms really different then other small businesses? That was a question I wondered about when I saw a question from Darren Dahl, a writer for Inc. Magazine. He was working on an article about business planning for specifically for our industry, and was looking for input.
From my perspective, the suggestions, tips and strategies I sent him, weren’t really that different from what I would say to any small business owner. They were included in a terrific piece, which included comments from owners of agencies like Roundpeg around the country. I think the suggestions have great application for any small business owner. Here are just a few:
- Define your audience – your plan will have a different focus if you hope to use it to raise capital or run your business
- Build a team – A marketing firm’s No. 1 asset is its staff I know this is true. Roundpeg is a very different company today then it was a year ago. While I have made some changes, the biggest changes were in my staff. I know I am lucky to have Jay, Allison, Rebecca, Taylor and Sharayah, and I tell them often.
- Map out the opportunities – Define your market – Everyone is not your customer. We say this to our customers on a regular basis, it is a good reminder for us as well.
- Know your competition – Every company has some!
- Know the numbers – This one is easy for me, I actually like numbers.. but that is not always the case for marketing firms, or business owners in general. My advice? Don’t avoid them. If you don’t want to spend the time, hire someone who will!
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