The Tools That Every Small Business Should Have In Their Marketing Toolbox

Julie Starr • Apr 04, 2021

You will naturally succeed in attracting new clients and buyers, as well as bringing in and sustaining new business if you are ready and equipped with a good collection of marketing tools and essentials. If you invest some time in planning and implementing your marketing toolkit, you will realize that things happen much more organically, and that’s much more sustainable than artificially inflated business. Here are a few tools that we believe every small business should have in its marketing toolbox.

A clear budget and a plan

Having a strong marketing strategy in place will help you expand your company from strength to strength. It doesn’t have to be hundreds of pages long, but it should be straightforward and succinct, spelling out what you want to do, how you intend to do it, and when you want to reach realistic targets. You can even use deep learning for marketing , which uses customer data to create a tailored marketing strategy for your business. Every brand is different, which means that marketing doesn’t work with a “one size fits all” approach. By using AI marketing systems, you won’t be implementing a general strategy, but one just as unique as your business and your customer base.

Once your marketing strategy is prepared, i t is also important that you share your strategy and vision with your team if you have one so that you are all on the same page. You should also ensure that you have a fair budget to work with. If your budget is minimal and static, there is no point in making a list of wishful thinking and fantasies. Note that marketing is one of, if not the, most critical aspects of the industry.

Quality and sustainable marketing resources

Whether you use business cards, car decals, blogs and websites, direct mail leaflets – they must be of good quality and look professional, conveying your company values and branding. If you pride yourself on being a sustainable and environmentally conscious company – which all businesses should be striving to do, SMS messaging is also something to think about. You can build customer relationships successfully thro0ugh SMS and FireText is the perfect company to help you. We are all glued to our phones these days, so it is one way to reach a large audience quickly without adding to the pile of paper. Branding should be consistent across them and accessible at all times – you never know when an excellent networking opportunity will present itself.

A clear elevator pitch

Throughout your business career, you will be asked repeatedly, ‘What do you do?’ Spending half an hour going into great detail about your company would most certainly bore the individual who has inquired. Instead, practice the elevator pitch. What would you say to this person if you were trapped in an elevator with them for a minute or less? Make it enjoyable, unforgettable, and interesting.

A great website

In today’s digital world, your website is likely to be the first thing people look for, so it is important that you give it the attention it needs. Use it to bring in new clients, but also to keep them coming back week after week, month after month, and to remind them why they want you to do business with in the first place. It will be many customers’ first point of contact with you, so keep it professional and respond to inquiries and technical problems as quickly as possible.

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.