Running your own business invariably means, you wear many different hats, right?
You often start your business being trained in your chosen profession. You do bookings, you see clients, you do paperwork, you pay bills. You do everything.
The buck stops with you.
As you grow, you realise that you can’t do everything (nor do you want to) and you start to think about outsourcing different functions of your business to free up your time to focus on what is important to you.
Marketing is often one such function.
You know that it is important but it might not be your forte or you’ve got some idea of what you need to do but you just don’t have the time to do it.
There are number of different ways that you can manage these functions in your business:
1. Do it yourself
If you have a small budget and an interest in learning marketing, then this is the option for you.
2. Consultant
A marketing consultant analyses the goals and objectives of your business and provides recommendations and strategies you should implement to reach these goals.
It is important to select the right consultant for your business and industry. Consultants can be expensive and at the end of the day, they are only providing advice and recommendations. Implementation still sits with you.
3. Freelancer
A marketing freelancer is usually an experienced marketer who has decided to offer their services independently. They work side by side with you to understand your business as if it were their own.
An added benefit is that you can hire a freelancer to do exactly what you are looking for. The main difference between a consultant and a freelancer is that a freelancer does the work. They are like your outsourced marketing department.
It is important to choose a freelancer who has the right skill set and a niche in your industry. They will know your industry inside out and can bring a wealth of experience and knowledge into helping your business to grow
4. Agency
Using an agency is like a group of freelancers all working for the one business. If you have elaborate marketing requirements, working with an agency can help. Agency fees can be high, and in addition, one of the biggest downsides is that you don’t get to choose who you work with. This person is assigned to your account (and many others) and will not necessarily have a niche in your industry.
5. Employ
Employing a person to look after marketing in your business has the benefit of that person working solely for you. However, you do have the overheads associated with employment – sick leave, annual leave, and other entitlements, which need to be factored into the cost.