Through the course of an impressive economic recovery, the UK has emerged as a nation of low budget business start-ups. According to the Daily Telegraph, an estimated 49% of contemporary small businessesestablished themselves with less than £2,000, while one in ten managed to begin trading without any funding at all.
While technological advancement and the increasingly accessibility of social media may be at the heart of this evolution, however, creating thinking has also played a critical role. In effect, this has enabled existing entrepreneurs to change their perception of business operations, and in particular the way in which they market their brand, product or service to consumers.
How Human Capital Can Empower your Business
One of the most influential modern trends has revolved around the optimisation of human capital, as proactive businesses have sought to empower their staff and utilise them as key marketing tools. This also has the additional benefit of creating a highly motivated workforce, which is driven to achieve both individual and company goals. With this in mind, what practical steps can you take to manage your talent and make the most of the human resources at your disposal?
Consider the Following: –
Turn Customer Service into a Marketing Opportunity
Historically, customer service has been disregarded as an inconvenience by business owners, who have been loathe to invest in something that does not deliver a tangible financial return. This has changed over the last twelve months, however, after business leader Seth Godin encouraged brands to follow the example of Zappo and reconsider customer service as being central to their culture. Referring to it as a ‘scalable way to delight’, it is based on the principle that customer service representatives have the attention of customers when they are actively engaged with the brand. This instantly transforms customer service into a free to access marketing opportunity, which both empowers staff and drives your business forward.
Create a Positive Company Culture and Mobile Marketing Team
You should never underestimate the power and influence of a highly motivated body of staff, and it is your role as a business owner to create a culture of empowerment. By instilling a strong sense of company identity in your staff and affording them a positive workplace experience, you can effectively create a mobile marketing team that promotes your brand though interactions with the general public. This can even be done subconsciously, which in turn creates more natural conversations and organic development. In order to support these efforts, you may wish to consider investing in branded work wear from specialist suppliers like ebrookes, especially when you attend promotional marketing events such as trade shows.
Sell your Brand in Person and Directly to Consumers
On the topic of trade shows, this type of event is crucial if you are going to going to effectively market your brand directly to consumers. This is an excellent opportunity if you have already developed a motivated team of staff who are fully engaged with your brand, as they are ideally placed to share positive experiences and sell the core values that underpin your business. In this instance, attempting to market such a vivid and purposeful brand solely online would be a huge waste of the human resources at your disposal, so it is crucial that you venture out to exhibitions and engage your target audience in person. This is also a particularly exciting opportunity for the marketers or customer facing staff who represent you brand, as it adds diversity to their role and establishes new challenges for them to meet.