In a difficult business environment, most businesses owners will say that marketing is the most important activity they need to be doing to improve their business. Is that the case for you? And, if so, is it the first thing you do every day?

The reality is that, whilst most people say it’s a really important activity, it ends up being something that get’s left until after everything else has been done. I’ve got news for you – everything else will NEVER be done, and if you don’t prioritise marketing and make it something you work on every day, it simply won’t happen.

It’s the classic ‘working in the business’ versus ‘working on the business’ syndrome.

If you get organised with a clear vision of what you are trying to achieve with your marketing, and you gather the right marketing tools around you to achieve this, then it’s reasonably simple to create a monthly / weekly plan about specifically what you need to be doing today. In our experience, it’s this lack of clarity that allows marketing activity to be endlessly put off. People don’t know what they should be doing – so they do nothing.

I once heard a most insightful saying ...

... the best thing you can do is the right thing

... the next best thing is the wrong thing

... but the worst thing you can do is nothing

How very true in terms of marketing your business. It is your responsibility to let people know how you can help them. If you don’t make time for this fundamental activity, don’t be surprised if your marketing isn’t working.

Serial entrepreneur Nogel Botterill made this point very well at a recent seminar I attended ...

"The smart business owners started work this morning by focusing at least an hour of their time, uninterrupted, on the marketing of their business. They worked 'on' their business not 'in' it - at least for an hour when they first got in. I know it can be difficult to make this happen. It's a hard habit to establish - especially with so much to do and get on with.

"But no one ever said achieving success was easy.

"The fact is that unless or until you begin finding 60 -90 minute chunks of uninterrupted time several times a week your business won't materially shift from wherever it is today. That's why this is so important - and finding that 90 minute slot pretty much every day has definitely been one of the keys to my success in business. I tried leaving it till later in the day and doing the more urgent (but in truth less important) stuff first but it doesn't work. Things get in the way, time whizzes by and it just doesn't happen.

"That's why I spend 90 minutes every morning, before I open email, check voicemail, before I even say 'good morning' to my team, working 'on' my business, not in it. I can't recommend it strongly enough if you're serious about success."

So, start every day with a marketing activity. The day can only get better after that.

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