Starting a Business | SEO & Google

Small Business Marketing

How you talk about the business, show figures and conduct yourself will all affect how your business is perceived by others.

From the moment that you start pitching the idea to friends and relations you should be looking to be able to capture the spirit of the business in just a sentence or two.

From now on you will be selling the idea of the business to others - be they investors, potential staff members or customers. You will find yourself repeating phrases that quickly become like politicians' sound bites. This is all healthy and normal and how most of us begin to learn the art of presenting. You are constantly being monitored and scored by the people around you on how well you present your business, even if at this stage it is just an idea.

The most important document that you will have to complete to get your business off the ground is a business plan and the associated financial data. Take sufficient time to complete these documents properly and put a lot of thought into how the end product is displayed. But do not confuse good presentation with packaging - gilt-edged paper, a perfect-bound spine and glossy covers will not win you any friends (or funding) if the content is dreadful. Good presentation is all about being clear and precise. Neat and tidy may sound boring but it will always win over the garish and rushed.

By now you should have decided upon a name for the business and even a corporate logo. As soon as the logo or brand has been created, it is time to put it to work. Creating brand awareness is reliant upon people seeing references to you and your company repetitively - obviously a multi-million pound TV advertising campaign can create a brand very quickly, but most of us do not have that amount of money. Create corporate literature that is heavily branded with your logo. Create business cards for the staff who will be meeting clients and suppliers. Compliments slips are a way of presenting yourself well every time you send a package or free sample, and lastly, any official business correspondence should always be on headed paper. There is a time and a place for everything, and while very heavy and expensive paper does look and feel wonderful, it should really only be wheeled out for the special occasions.

There is always a line to be drawn between showmanship and frugality - customers and investors alike will be put off you and your business if it looks like everything is over-priced to keep you in the lifestyle to which you have become accustomed. Fancy cars, an over-jazzy office and an apparent easy-come attitude to spending money can give the impression of being wasteful rather than successful.

Create an information pack suitable for potential investors, partners, suppliers and customers. The pack will be similar to an executive summary - showing what the business is setting out to achieve, the personalities behind it, pictures of the premises/product and some information about your target market. These packs allow you to leave a lasting impression with key contacts. The more succinct the information, the more effective it will be.


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