“Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency and you will attract much better things.”
Rhonda Byrne
I cannot believe we are reaching another business milestone, this year, RIMU Marketing celebrates our 9th business birthday. The RIMU Marketing journey started all those years ago with a chance conversation with a friend who was unsure how to grow her business, Facebook was kind of working, but not really. After this conversation, I completed my first marketing strategy and have not looked back. Over the last nine years, we have changed and evolved hugely, now a team of associates, we continue to work with some amazing and inspirational clients. One of our core values, which has been at the centre of everything, is to help our clients and those around us as much as possible, which continues today.
Feeling Grateful
I am grateful for everything we have achieved over the last year, which we could not have done without the support of friends, family and colleagues. Our achievements include launching a new marketing coaching programme using the MAGIC Framework; being shortlisted for two Thames Valley Business awards; continuing to work with inspirational clients and a growing team of amazing associates, all passionate about what they do.
Advice for new small business owners
In keeping with previous years, I wanted to reflect and share some thoughts for anyone just starting their small business journey or finding themselves at a crossroads. I know it can be tough working for yourself, and if I had known some of these things before I started out, it would have helped me. We got to interview many great guests on the River Radio “Let’s Talk Business Show”, and I include some of their words of wisdom here too:
- Research. Before you embark on your small business journey, ensure you research your idea. Explore the market you wish to enter and try to identify a niche or point of difference.
- Write a plan. This is a key one. Whilst undoubtedly things will change hugely in the first few years, if you have a plan or road map to start with, it will help you to keep on track or to make informed decisions to do something differently. If you are interested in understanding what is included in your marketing strategy, you can click here to read our definitive guide.
- Meet your customer. I talk a lot about defining your target audience, and the reason is because it is key to any successful marketing campaign and underpins your business. This insight will help you to choose the right media, hone your proposition and create engaging content.
- Build a network. When times get tough, you need to ensure you have people you can turn to for support. Build a network to support you; this could be friends, family or colleagues.
- Outsource when you can. We all have a finite amount of time, focusing our energies on what we are good at and enjoy will make us happier and more productive. Finding people who enjoy the things you don’t will help hugely. Personally, finding a good accountant was essential.
- Enjoy! We spend a lot of time at work, it is important to have and maintain our passion for what we do. Let that shine through in the way you engage with your audiences.
Good luck if you are starting out, it is a roller coaster of a ride but one that is definitely worth it!
Challenges in 2023
We started the year by researching the challenges small business owners face as we headed into 2023 and the results were very insightful. We received a fantastic response to the survey, and some key core questions came through, including:
- How to find new customers?
- I don’t know where to begin with my marketing.
- I don’t have time to do marketing!
- How do I achieve greater visibility?
- I don’t have a big marketing budget.
- How to I create a solid marketing strategy?
- Where do I find good content ideas?
These are all great questions and ones that I often hear from small business owners. In celebration of RIMU Marketing’s 9th business birthday, I am running a free webinar on Wednesday, 19 April, to address some of the challenges faced, to see the full agenda or secure your place please click HERE.
As a thank you to my clients, associates, contacts, followers and supporters, I will also be making a donation to Ecologi, an organisation focused on supporting environmental projects across the globe. Click here to see how the RIMU forest is growing.
In celebration of RIMU Marketing’s 9th birthday, if you have a marketing challenge, we would love to hear from you, get in touch to arrange a no-obligation discovery call.
