At SBIC, our commitment to nurturing thriving businesses extends beyond providing great facilities, flexible licenses and a supportive centre team. As the Innovation Director, it’s my role to help businesses innovate, evolve and scale and I look for every opportunity to do just that. Recently I developed and delivered a bespoke business support programme aimed at addressing a skills gap within our vibrant community: the need for enhanced marketing skills.
During one of our regular networking events, it became clear that many of our customers were grappling with the complexities of effective marketing strategies. So, for me, a prime opportunity to share marketing techniques and discuss the practical applications for them. I committed to offering a series of tailored, interactive workshops providing a safe space to explore, discuss and work on achievable marketing plans.
Drawing upon my own experiences and the expertise and insights garnered from industry best practice, I prepared a series of marketing workshops. They were carefully crafted for the community at SBIC, to demystify the marketing process, ensuring accessibility and immediate applicability for small businesses seeking support, our customers. The workshops covered essential topics, including:
- Value Proposition Development
- Customer Persona Mapping
- Crafting Compelling Marketing Messaging
- Selecting Communication Channels and Hooks
- Implementing an Effective Buying Funnel and Customer Journey, leveraging the AIDA model.
We had a positive response with six business owners participating in the programme and it is really delivering some tangible results for them.
Through sessions with hands-on exercises, participants gained a newfound confidence in their marketing acumen. Having been challenged to clearly assess their business’s needs, we focused on practical strategies and actionable insights leaving them equipped to navigate the complexities of marketing with far more precision and purpose.
With a clearer understanding of marketing principles, they are developing new skills and knowledge whilst steering their ventures towards new growth and success.
Don’t take Our Word For It – Customer Feedback:
“I have found the workshops very useful so far. The small-group format encourages participation and also gives participants the opportunity to discuss points or issues which can be specific to your own area of business. There is always a useful take-away and action point from each session as well , which I have found useful for guiding my marketing planning”.
Ed Whittaker
MD – School Data Solutions
“The marketing workshops have offered us the opportunity to take a short amount of time out of the business to really give time and consideration to our marketing priorities. The sessions are in bite-size packages and give insight in to different models that can be used to break down the elements we need to consider when formulating the early stages of a marketing plan. They have offered us clarity on our priorities and the impetus to dedicate some time to this on a weekly basis”.
Kate Roe
Business Support Manager – Film My Match
It hasn’t stopped there either! As a result of the feedback received, I have been working on securing some additional training in collaboration with The Growth Hub. I’m delighted we’ll be offering a further package of training on sales, negotiation and pricing strategy to our customers to compliment and build on what has already been delivered.
A key part of the Innovation Director’s role is to provide the support systems and initiatives, like the marketing workshops, that encourage business growth. If you are interested in growing your small business, speak to any of us to us here at SBIC to find out more about joining the centre…
