I was sitting in Starbucks this morning, having my usual grande decaf coffee and catching up on business. I happened to sit down next to two people who were talking about driving traffic to a new store. On my right was the owner of a new yogurt shop. To my left, a sales rep from a local TV station who was explaining their Groupon-like local couponing program.
I felt a great deal of sympathy for the yogurt shop owner. I’m sure she knows a great deal about running a fast food franchise business, but she clearly was new to marketing. As I listened to the conversation, all I could think was “Would it be okay if I volunteered to translate what the sales rep is saying into English?”
My wife and her partner run a catering business. I’ve watched as they have developed a very successful small business. They are at that point that many entrepreneurs reach where they almost have enough business to hire someone full time, but not quite enough. They work like crazy satisfying their current clients, leaving no time for marketing to new clients.
And even if they had the time, they don’t have the expertise. Natural search, paid search, blogging, social media … how does a caterer have time to become an expert in all of these new areas. They need a cost-effective way to navigate all of their options for finding new clients without spending a fortune.
If this sounds familiar, then you’ll want to follow this blog. I’ll take you through the highs and lows of marketing a small business in today’s new media environment. Hopefully we’ll both learn something along the way.
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