Building a business is hard work. There, I said it. It takes juggling numerous details and priorities. It takes strategy, long hours and sleepless nights. For what exactly? YOUR BUSINESS. It is so worth it! No matter the stage of your business, there is hard work that comes with it.
As a business owner, you are probably getting a lot of advice about what you SHOULD be doing. It comes from every direction, and keeping all of the “best practices” in mind all of the time can be pretty overwhelming. If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time pushing the noise out of your mind so you can focus on the day-to-day elements of operating your business. Your ability to translate your vision to reality, whether you are offering products or services, is what you are working to present to the public. As business owners, we have in our minds’ eye what business we want to build and we tirelessly pursue it!
Every business needs some form of marketing, but realistically marketing may not be where you are able to focus. That is where we can help! Marketing tasks are sometimes overlooked or even dismissed as “less critical.” And we get it. Effective branding and proper messaging vs the “critical” issues of making sure you’re in the black each month can seem like items that can wait until tomorrow. But can they? A look at the bigger picture reveals that in order to be profitable, you have to tell your story and sell your product or service. We all want our businesses to live up to their full potential, and the best way to do that is to grow your marketing to its full potential!
Here are some good questions to start you on the right path:
- Have you defined your brand and what it stands for?
- Is your logo a good reflection of what your brand represents?
- Is your messaging consistent?
- Do you know who your target audience is and more importantly, how to reach them?
- Does your dedication to your target audience include social media?
- Are you consistent – and frequent – in your outreach?
If you are at the point where you need someone to develop your marketing strategy, create a website, do that project you have not been able to get to or review your online presence, Carlson Integrated offers a complete suite of marketing services. Whether you need project-based creativity or ongoing thought leadership and social media campaigns, we are here for you. There are many stages of business development and we can help through them all. We understand all the “what ifs”. The worrying about each detail. The sleepless nights working on the project for tomorrow’s deadline. The sometimes-competing interests of work and family as you struggle to achieve balance.
Remember – You ARE an amazing business owner because you understand that building a thriving business requires patience, consistency, multi-tasking and plenty of TLC, skills that you are using Every. Single. Day!
