31 January 2014 1 Min Read
Small business network hears tips on effective marketing
in Business by admin
Cindy Preller
SHE is a firm believer that when a business opportunity arises, it should be seized.
Port Elizabeth businesswoman Cheryl Reynolds was the guest speaker at the first Eastern Cape Small Business Network (ECSBN) meeting of the year held in Newton Park yesterday.
Reynolds, who is the owner of CRC Communications and best known as the former chairwoman of the Business Women's Association (BWA) in Port Elizabeth, has mastered the art of balancing running her own business and a household with five children.
She shared some valuable tips with the corporates and owners of small businesses who attended the networking meeting about how to market their businesses on a limited budget.
She said this time of the year was a good time to invest in marketing and that the market had become very dynamic but also very demanding.
"It is important to first decide what your business objectives are, before you decide on marketing strategies. Then work within a budget and start planning," Reynolds said.
After a successful marketing career in the corporate world, Reynolds started CRC Communications in 2006 as a marketing consulting practice. Her advice to small businesses who had a limited marketing budget was to invest in branding, social media and networking sessions.
Reynolds said it was important to incorporate a well-designed logo into your business brand and to use it everywhere – from your business card, e-mail signature to pull-up banners.
Any business wanting to be taken seriously should also invest in a website, which is user-friendly, and a Facebook page but Reynolds warned care should be taken to separate business and social parts of your social media life.
"Stay relevant by keeping your page updated but choose your posts wisely and do not bombard people with information," Reynolds said.
One of the cheapest marketing tools was networking and by "working the room" as valuable business relationships were built up in a natural manner.
"With time, energy and determination anyone is able to succeed in business," Reynolds said.