Every business needs sales, and drawing in potential clients and customers is at the heart of marketing. To use our fishing analogy from a fisherman’s point of view, good marketing is about knowing where and when to fish, what bait to use and targeting which fish you really want to catch.

You don’t want to be fishing in the wrong pond - fish where the fish are!

We understand that start-ups and small businesses rarely have the budgets for a conventional business marketing consultant – and that’s where CBASS can help.

CBASS stands for Complete Business Advisory Solutions and marketing has to be included in any complete approach. CBASS covers all aspects of business and a range of industries but a marketing plan is so crucial that is why we give it a priority.

As usual with CBASS, we offer a mix of online information and workbooks, links to sources of more detailed guidance, peer-to-peer support and mentoring from other business owners and the chance to deal with one of our team of experts when you need one-to-one advice.

But to give you a feel for what’s involved, here’s an overview:

Branding and market positioning – so much more than just a logo design. Thinking about the personality of your business and the markets that you want to sell into should be part of your initial business plan. Then, well after start-up, you still need to be updating and rejuvenating the core of your marketing. Markets (fish) move and you need to adapt and move to stay ahead of your competitors.

Route to market and target audience – whether selling online to new mums or through a network of retailers to reach the grey pound, you need to identify your priorities. Early input from a marketing expert can make all the difference in keeping you focused and ensuring early sales to bring in the cash. So, knowing how to manage different sales channels effectively is key for a successful business. And being able to adapt quickly and swim in a new direction as market conditions change, is crucial.

Marketing communications – this is the catch all term for everything from digital marketing, social media and a website to paid advertising, printed brochures and PR. It’s all about picking the right mix of channels and tools to get to the people you need to reach with the right messages and emotional hooks. And it’s about budgeting carefully – nothing’s free in life and hours spent on social media are expensive for any small business owner with a start-up to lead!

Marketing consultancy from CBASS experts is as relevant to SMEs and growing businesses as it is to start-ups. Even successful businesses need to keep their marketing strategies up to date, their messages relevant and their channels refreshed as well as finding new markets.

The CBASS combination of online resources, peer-to-peer networking and access to marketing consultants is as valid for an established business as it is for a new one.

The simple answer from CBASS is “Yes”

All the online articles, downloadable workbooks and checklists in the world might not give you the confidence that you need to swim against the tide, especially if your new business is something innovative and different.

That’s where the CBASS access to a network of experts with years of experience can make all the difference. So please get in touch. Let’s see how we can get you swimming in the right direction.