Time for a Checkup? 10 Tips to Kick-start Company Growth in Uncertain Times

Spring time is the perfect time for a brand check-up! How is yours performing? 

Written by Robyn T. Braley  

What shape will your business be in by this time next year? Is there risk? Is there reward? 

What steps can you take to make this year the best it can be in spite of economic or political circumstances?

With unpredictable global economies and uncertain political decisions, many leaders lack the confidence needed to make forward-planning decisions. In many situations, they can only operate their companies based on what they know today! Reviewing past performance histories doesn't help because we are in uncharted territories. 

While we all hope for a better tomorrow, we can only control what you can control today.

Don’t get me wrong, we have clients whose businesses are excelling and setting all-time sales records in the midst of difficult times. But we also have clients who are struggling and have even gone out of business. 

I've written about survival strategies before. Whatever your circumstance, it's never a bad idea to review your brand and marketing performance. Is there a different way to look at your situation? 

1. Begin from Where You Are

A mentor of mine shared this simple but profound truth. ‘Begin from where you are!’ It sounds simplistic, but when you think about it, it makes sense. 

Today you KNOW you have a PROBLEM or OPPORTUNITY. You know that you do or don't have the tools needed to address it. It's that simple. 

Can you MOVE forward based on what you know today about your realities as they are right now? 

1. What is the problem or opportunity!
2. What are your strengths?
3. What are your weakness?
4. What do you know for certain?
5. What DON'T you KNOW that you SHOULD?
6. How will you address that?
7. What is your plan?

Think As if There is no Box! Creative Solutions for Challenging Problems

Think as if there is no box!

Written by Robyn T. Braley 

Business survival depends on producing results even when economies tank. To keep existing clients while trying to find new customers, the challenge is not to think outside the box. It is to think as if there is no box!

Every market segment is different. They just are. And, that is the fun in working with unique clients.

So, to suggest there are one-size-fits all solutions runs counter to the way we think at Unimark Creative. We like to walk beside our clients, learn more about their needs, and find ways to solve their marketing problems.

I always feel uncomfortable when asked to come up with lists of “must-have” marketing tools. The secret to business success is to identify your client’s needs and provide a solution that will meet them. Simple, right?

Hold on. When hit by an unpredictable economy, business owners are forced to consider programs they may not have considered previously. Some get back to the basics that helped them get started. Others do things they've never done before as they shore up existing business while also searching for new opportunities.