It’s that time of year again, when Michael Buble urges us to have a Holly Jolly Christmas and Mariah Carey reminds us that the presents underneath the tree aren’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. Christmas shopping is one of the festive season’s most time-honoured traditions So with that in mind, where are you doing your Christmas shopping this year? Why do we ask? Because your choice could make all the difference to small business owners struggling in 2020.

Being busy is not the same as being successful. Working hard is not the same as working smart. Putting the hours in is pointless if you’re working on the wrong activities. Time doesn’t have to control you, we all have the same hours in the day as Beyonce! Here are our top tips to take charge of time and get more out of it.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock... That's the sound of Christmas drawing closer by the minute and if you haven't had a chance to get your Christmas campaign sorted, we've got your back. Our last minute Christmas guide and resource centre are packed with everything you need to add the cheer to your Christmas campaign.

Although employing a professional photographer may seem like an expensive outlay in the short term, the long term effect it has on your brand, your engagement rates, and subsequent sales makes it the perfect investment for your business. Think of professional photography as the first impression potential customers have of your business, and therefore the first element you should think of when embarking on any kind of marketing activity.

Social media campaigns may seem like an obvious Christmas marketing tool but social networks with millions of built-in, active audiences often go under-utilised by small and mid-sized business that don’t always have the time, resources and budget to support them. And when social media is increasingly used by consumers to research, discover and purchase products online, particularly during the holiday season, why wouldn’t you want to talk to prospective consumers?

Hiring at anytime is key to business success, but hiring in 2020 in a time of an uncertain future, can be tricky to say the least. It does highlight (for us anyway), that attitude will always trump experience, because the right people are always a company’s most important asset

It may only be October but the tinsel is being hung and the carols will be ringing loud through the airwaves in no time so if you don't have your online store ship shape, you may miss out on the all-important Christmas dollar. This week's blog looks at getting your website on the nice list.

When was the last time you added to, updated or reviewed your website?  Your website is more often than not the digital face of your business but does it reflect your business in it's the best light? 

It’s 2020 and the power is in your hands to design and build your own website! Fortunately in 2020, it’s not all about coding and there are numerous platforms that you can use, each offering a range of different features so you can pick one that works for you and your business. Here are some top tips to think about when it comes to improving your website design and user experience.

Holy Christmas Bells, it's almost time to drag the tinsel out, decorate the store and get your Christmas on!  Yes, Christmas is about to be all around us and as the tinsel hits the shop floor (we've even seen it sneaking out already!), so we pulled together a few of our favourite things, Christmas style, to take the stress out of the planning.

Cloud-based digital tools are providing a golden age for small businesses with tools that have previously been out of the reach of the small business owner now accessible through easier to manage cost structures. As a small business owner having a digital toolkit to help run your business is essential and these are some of our must-have tools.  We just couldn’t successfully run our business without them in fact!

Like so many of us, as a working parent I’m all too aware how maintaining a balance between my children and family and work – and time for myself – can at times be tricky. Let’s face it, without children it’s challenging enough! 

Let’s be honest, with the day-to-day hustle of running your business, it’s easy to forget the approaching holidays. How many times has a holiday come, only for you to realise that you never prepared a promotion for it? So, if you want to end 2020 with a bang, then you need to be prepared and plan ahead, so here are 10 tips to get your digital Christmas game organised.  

Your branding is the one thing you want everyone to instantly recognise as belonging to your company – and only to your company. It affects everything your business does – from talking to your customers to designing your business cards. Branding not only means creating a suitable logo and a letterhead it also includes brand colours and a tone of voice for internal and external communication. So, when it comes to your branding there is a lot to consider.

Email marketing and social media marketing are best buddies so when you plan your content calendar make sure you are utilising both channels to promote the other.  

Following a turbulent 2020, Christmas this year is going to feel a little different from what we have previously known. The pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, and the new habits we have formed will shape our behaviour over the festive season. So as marketers, how do you begin planning your activities for the upcoming season, and how can you help your customers and communities, and how can you drive sales for your store?

When setting up your competition consider this, what is the outcome you are wanting? Is a competition going to achieve this or are you gaining unengaged followers who are only in it for the prize, not because they feel a connection to your business? The key to success on Social Media is to have an engaged audience, not having the largest number of followers, so don't let ego blur your vision.  

Each year we set ourselves five goals to help keep us focused on business and personal growth.  These were the five goals we set at the start of 2020, obviously with no idea what the year had in store for all of us!  And while 2020 has thrown some interesting spanners into everyone's business plans, it just goes to show that it's more important than ever to have goals and work towards them. So, let's check-in to see how we are going with our 2020 goals.