We’re here with practical marketing information for your business.

Marketing essentials

How to create a marketing plan for your small business - build a brand, target customers and set prices that will maximise sales.

Online marketing

The internet has transformed business marketing. No matter what you do, the internet is likely to be at the heart of your marketing strategy.

Social media

Social media is firmly established as a marketing tool. Having a presence opens up new lines of communication with existing and potential customers.

Advertising

Good advertising puts the right marketing message in front of the right people at the right time, raising awareness of your business.

Customer care

Customer care is at the heart of all successful companies. It can help you develop customer loyalty and improve relationships with your customers.

Sales

Sales bring in the money that enables your business to survive and grow. Your sales strategy will be driven by your sales objectives.

Market research

Market research exists to guide your business decisions by giving you insight into your market, competitors, products, marketing and your customers.

PR and promotion

Exhibitions and events are valuable for businesses because they allow face-to-face communication and offer opportunities for networking.

Tools

Types of complaining customers

When customers are dissatisfied with the service you're providing they fall into one of four kinds of complainers. How do you tailor your response?

Make customer segmentation work

Reaching potential buyers with a targeted message at the right time is key to maintain sales growth. Make sure you identify who spends what when.

How to encourage word-of-mouth recommendations

Word-of-mouth recommendation is one of the best forms of advertising, because it is persuasive, credible and free. Find out how to achieve it.

VIP customers

Every business has its best customers: the ones you want to keep. So how do you reward them? And should you give everyone the same VIP treatment?

Spotting gaps in your market

Every business needs to stay fresh to be competitive. This may mean regularly refreshing your products or coming up with an entirely new offer.

Why it pays to profile your customers

Understanding your customers is the secret of successful selling. The more you know about them, the easier it can be to increase their spending.

I'm too reliant on a single customer

Reliable customers are the lifeblood of every business. However, it can be risky to rely on them - if their business flounders, so might yours.

Write a quality statement

How to write a quality statement when tendering for a contract that will demonstrate your skills, experience and expertise

How to write a winning business proposal

The difference between winning and losing a contract could be down to the quality of your initial proposal: saying the right things in the right way.

Ten ways to win public sector contracts

The public sector spends billions of pounds directly on orders with SMEs. How can you improve your chances of getting a piece of the action?

How to create press and media coverage

Discover the four key ways that you can get press and media coverage - PR is a great way for small businesses to raise their profile and get noticed.

Essential guide to creating a sales strategy for growth

How to set a sales strategy that will help your business achieve its growth potential, including setting sales targets, managing salespeople and using CRM systems.

How to pitch to corporate partners

Partnering with a bigger business can help you leverage your innovations. How to get in front of the right people - and make a great impression.

Preparing for ISO 9000 - checklist

The ISO 9000 family of standards helps businesses put quality management processes in place. Read our tips for getting accredited under ISO 9000.

Essential guide to direct mail and email marketing

An essential guide to customer databases, direct mail and email marketing for small businesses.

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