Those who can, do… but do you have to love it?

A little bit of personal inspection today at a point where Spinning Plates is going really well, I have fabulous clients, no money worries… and in the current climate there is a lot to be said for that.

I’ve talked before about how my business has evolved and changed over the years to what it is today. Part of the reason for that is because I have a certain set of skills and experiences in marketing that I initially side lined but they came to the fore in my passion for helping clients and spotting ways that businesses can be improved.

Marketing is something I’m good at, whether through natural talent or because I love doing it and am always keen to learn more, I’m not 100% sure. It’s been a pleasure being able to help clients in some small way do something that comes easily to me but that they might find difficult. However, I realised recently that though I may be good at something it doesn’t necessarily mean that I enjoy it.

That sounds incredibly self-indulgent and I’m lucky/privileged that I have the choice that I am able to even consider these things. My frustration is driven not by my dislike of marketing as such but of the way I practice marketing and beliefs around business growth and sustainability.

You see, I believe in brands. I believe that any business- however small, should be built on a solid foundations of a strong brand – customer service, tone of voice, identity, consistency – and not on the quicksand of immediate sales, quick wins and customer trends. I see business growth built on a strategy of slow and steady growth – obtaining followers and customers that are truly connected to your brand; developing products and services that your customers actually want; creating a name and a business that can maintain even in challenging circumstances. However, to some people marketing does not mean brand but, instead, sales. Quick wins, easy sales and high volume. Ultimately that is the dream situation of any business but it’s not a sustainable business model and I think that in order to create success you need to build a permanent structure not a temporary solution.

Advertising creates sales, marketing creates businesses and if I’m honest my passion lies in the latter… and if you’re going to work hard, you might as well enjoy what you’re doing.