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theguild@gmcgroup.com MARKETING Improve your marketing skills
MANY businesses have fi nely tuned skills in their specialist fi eld but may need a helping hand when it comes to promoting their business. The Guilds Sales and Marketing specialist Steve Bridson can help.
Steve Bridson is a man with a mission: he’s passionate about helping small businesses realise their full potential through clever and targeted marketing techniques. Steve founded his mentoring business, Bucks Business Advice, in 2018, after honing his business acumen as the MD of his family business, Martinvest Ltd.
Armed with a Business Management Degree, majoring in Marketing, Steve helped steer the DVD and CD-copying business to success. At one point, the company had a turnover of over £1m annually and 25 employees. After working in most departments, Steve found a natural home in sales and marketing and hasn’t looked back.
“Now I’m not interested in the big corporates,” he explains. “A phenomenal amount of micro-businesses – those with fewer than 10 employees – make up a huge part of the business economy, and helping those businesses is what truly fl oats my boat.”
Strategies for working with clients
Whether you’re a furniture maker or a stonemason, Steve’s fi rst task is to run a thorough business ‘health check’. This typically takes around four hours and he will work with the client to forensically assess their company and agree on their future direction. Although he’s based in Buckinghamshire, Steve welcomes enquiries from all around the UK. He prefers ‘face-to-face’ time but can also work with clients via Skype.
Steve cites the ‘80:20 rule’ as a powerful tool to help the fortunes of a micro- company soar. “Typically, 80% of your
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business comes from 20% of your clients. And often, a trader will fulfi l an order for a customer and then move onto the next job,” he says. “But they’re missing a trick because they should be looking at building a relationship with that 20%. You need to ask yourself how you can strategically promote yourself to those clients.”
Another key area to look at is a defi ned marketing strategy. This includes attending networking events but squeezing the most out of them. According to Steve, too often business owners won’t arrive with a proper plan. Yes, they may meet people, but unless they go with an objective for the meeting, it’s a wasted exercise.
Steve also advocates building strategic partnerships. “This is about partnering with a fellow business that has the same type of client
base but is a non- competitor,” he says. “A simple example of
this is when you’ve got a builder who can lay the bricks and build a house, but he needs a plumber to install the water works and central heating. They’re not in direct competition but one relies on the other.”
Because each client’s needs vary, Steve says the time he works with them isn’t set in stone. “I have clients I work with on an ‘ad hoc’ basis, or they might need mentoring over a period of time. The key thing they have in common is being accountable to someone. It’s a great motivator.”
If you are interested in working with Steve, he is available through the Guild off ering free Sales and Marketing support. For more info go to www.
guildmc.com or call 0800 401010.
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