In The News

Published on www.smartcompany.com.au on 12 February 2014 and written by Brendon Booth.

The LinkedIn function ‘people you may know’ recently popped up on my screen displaying a guy I had worked with back before I started pbHC. It was pretty strange that we weren’t already ‘linked’, as we had nearly 300 connections in common, but I dutifully clicked on his profile and had a look to see where he’d ended up.

Just as I was about to send a connection request, I noticed something strange. At the firm we’d both worked at, his title wasn’t listed as ‘consultant’ (as we both had been) but rather something like ‘director of recruitment in commodities, energy and sustainability’.

Clever marketing can help small businesses attract and retain the perfect customers and ultimately help grow the business significantly.

Carys Foster, senior marketing manager with Deloitte Australia, says in order to develop an effective marketing strategy a company must have clear core values, and know what the brand stands for.

Marketing "can give you a clear direction for your brand proposition to ensure you are consistent with how you communicate and behave with customers," she says.

"Ultimately it should help you to grow your business in the right direction."

Published on www.smh.com.au on January 28th, 2014 - 10:00AM and written by Christopher Niesche.

Getting close to your customers is more important than ever - and SMEs should use all the tools available to stay ahead of the rest.

First impressions count - and nowhere is that more true that in business.

So make 2014 the year you sharpen up your marketing efforts and ensure that the first contact you have with your customers makes a good impression. Show them that you have the solutions to their problems and that you're the sort of business they want to deal with.

"It doesn't matter what size company you are, you can still present your brand in the way it needs to be presented to engage and connect with clients and customers," says Mellissah Smith, founder of specialist SME agency Marketing Eye.

Published on www.businessfirstmagazine.com.au on Jan, 1 2014 and written by Mellissah Smith

Aligning the right people, processes and tools with your company vision and strategy can lead to sustainable results.

Managing marketing team’s performance is a perennial issue that is faced by all company leaders.
While statistics on revenue growth and margins are laid out to see in black and white, it’s more challenging to respond to the question of what value the business receives from its marketing investment.

In July, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman launched the inaugural Queensland Small Business Week. The move by Mr Newman was one designed to reconnect government with 412,000 small businesses that prop up the Queensland economy.

The two-day summit brought industry together with government to discuss the problems currently facing small businesses.

“Small business is the backbone of the Queensland economy,” Mr Newman said. “As a government, it is in our interests that our small businesses are profitable, innovative and resilient enterprises. We also want them to be competitive, to create jobs and to contribute to building a robust economy.