Ways to invest in your business

Maybe I’m just having a bad business day but I am done being polite – I have to call out the bullsh*t and urge you to invest in your business.

The digital and real world is awash with solutions that claim to boost your brand, fix your follower numbers, create more conversions, enhance your engagement, raise your reach (big breath) – and all for free!

Well, my friends, I’m sorry to break this to you but a lot of it is utter b*llocks.

I am all for helpful content, but I urge you to watch for the pitfalls.

How do the tips in that Instagram post fit into the values of your business? It offers the promise of reaching a wider audience but are they the people you are trying to reach.

Is it just another distraction at the fairground?

Luck and quick fixes will only get you so far whereas investing in your business sets you up for the years to come.

I have worked with clients who have wasted money on paid-for advertising without a strategy.

Yes, they saw ‘results’ – their followers and reach grew.

However, those shiny stats did not convert into new leads or clients.

When I started working with them and they began to understand where their audience was, communicate with purpose and see meaningful progress in the way of valuable connections and new leads.

Investing to survive

A stat most business-owners, like me are familiar with is that over 50% of small businesses do not survive beyond five-years.

Of course, there are lots of reasons for this – it is hard running a business!

I have found either I do it myself or I pay someone to do it.

Perhaps strategy – be it overall business strategy or the communications strategy that I specialise in – feels like an unnecessary cost.

But it is an investment that yields returns by delivering on business focussed targets.

If you don’t know where you’d like to be in five-years, how will you get there?

The sense of satisfaction when you invest in your business and the opportunity to streamline tasks that comes with a Communications Strategy is valuable in time and money.

For example, if you know your audience hangs out in Facebook communities, you don’t need to waste your time and money on other channels.

That kind of liberation is priceless!

Delayed gratification

Judging by how I feel at the time of writing, trust me when I say I understand the frustration that comes with running your own business and not seeing results as quickly as you would like.

Paying a small amount for an online course that will open up the magic of TikTok for Business might feel like you’re investing in your business but it’s only useful if it’s practical:

• Can you realistically apply the learning to your day-to-day business demands?
• Are your ideal audience (and/or customer) on TikTok?
• What sort of content can you come up with?
• How does this fit into the overall business needs and goals?

We live in an age where delayed gratification seems over-rated.

But let me remind you (and myself) that it is worth it.

The money spent on a short, sharp webinars is better invested in something that:

• Is well-researched and tailored especially for your business,
• looks carefully at who your current and potential audience is,
• Sets realistic objective on communicating your brand and marketing your business,
• Specifically contributes to your overall business goals.

The widely accepted truth

Sometimes when I look at my social media feeds, it reminds me of the story The Emperor’s New Clothes.

From one business owner to another, I’d like to remind you there is strength in admitting you’re overwhelmed, confused, even irritated by the well-meaning advice, relentless noise and expectation that comes with marketing and growing your business.

Let’s talk about the right way to invest in your business, get in touch to book a call with me.