Marketing is about things that help people to get to know us in ways that build understanding, trust and feelings that make them want to do business with our companies Lois Kelly, Beyond Buzz – The next generation of Word of Mouth Marketing

Marketing for Startups and Small Business

I work with clients to help them to develop cost effective marketing solutions that create awareness of their products and services in the market; that generate interest among potential customers; and learn how to undertake marketing activity that leads to increased sales leads. The best clients are those that want to review their marketing activity; that are open to new ideas and are also open to learning what works so that they can build a model to drive the future of the business.

My project work (and training) focuses on practical implementation as well as strategic planning and management.

 There are a lot of options on how to spend your marketing budget – as illustrated by this slide on the Promotional Mix from the Lean StartUp @ GMIT programme – the key is to invest your budget wisely.

Promotional Mix on one slide

Marketing Skills Workshops

 I see Marketing as being of fundamental importance to every business. I design and deliver bespoke Marketing training workshops. Examples of programmes that I have delivered include:

 Sales & Marketing: Where to start with your startup? – One Day

The programme is designed to assist participants to learn how to use Marketing and Sales to sustain and grow their business. This full day workshop is designed specifically for promoters in their first year of business or who are thinking of starting a business (ideally will have attended a Start Your Own Business programme). The first part of the workshop focuses on five Cs of Marketing: Customer, Cost, Communication, Convenience, and Competition. The second part of the workshop focuses on how business must help their customers to buy and discusses lead generation, and Sales cycle and process management. The workshop concludes by discussing a format for a Sales & Marketing Action plan – a template will be provided.

Marketing For Growth – One Day

This full day workshop is designed specifically for established SMEs to provide organisational decision makers with an opportunity to critically evaluate the return on current marketing activity. After an ‘Audit’ of current activity the session ‘Marketing for Growth’ examines: new product development, targeting new markets, selling more to existing customers and changing marketing tactics to include Referral Management [leveraging your current customers to add to your customer base]. The workshops concludes by addressing how to create a budgeted and cost effective marketing plan for 2013.

 Market Validation – Half Day
This three and a half workshop will outline how to use Secondary and Primary Research to test a market opportunity before investing significant money in product development. A process for market validation will be outlined. It will be interest to both early stage business promoters and established SMEs. This interactive workshop includes detailed case examples to illustrate how to source secondary information. It also includes a discussion of a sample primary research instrument. Delivered in January 2013 to Plato Mid-West in Shannon.

 My training workshops are about imparting knowledge, facilitating discussion, and helping the client and the team to develop a cohesive plan. Other marketing programmes have been delivered in the areas of: Social Media; Branding; Networking; Are you Selling or Negotiating; and Presentation Skills.

LEAN START-UP MARKETING

I have delivered a Lean Startup Marketing One Day programme as part of the New Frontiers Phase 2 programmes in DKIT, WIT and TU Dublin Blanchardstown. The key theme of the programmes is the importance of achieving Product-Market Fit before expending significantly on Marketing – I also deliver a one day programme on Market Validation so the material follows seamlessly. Lean Startup Marketing also provides guidance in the form of the concept of ‘Engines of Growth’ to assist promoters to evaluate how close they are to reaching Product-Market fit. The objective of the workshops is to guide participants to craft a two-page marketing plan summary that can be included directly in their investor-ready business plan.

Marketing Experience of Donncha Hughes

My functional area of expertise is Marketing – Masters in Marketing from NUIG. My training is based on my direct Marketing experience and what I have learned from working hands on with clients. My area of expertise is Marketing and Sales of professional services.

• Branding and Communications

Design of Penguin Stands, Brochures, Binders etc by liasing with Graphic Designers

Marketing Communications to include Press Releases with IBEC Mid-West

• Compilation of Regional Economic Reports for IBEC Mid-West to include one on Shannon Airport entitled “Challenges and Opportunities of Open Skies” which featured in the national news media (TV, Radio and Press).

• Website copywriting and development (using Content Management Systems)

• Social Media – facebook pages with TABS for clients,Twitter and Google+

• Online Marketing – SEO, Google Adwords

• Development of YouTube Videos for Clients

• Radio Advertising for Limerick Institute of Technology’s LEAP Programme.

• Newsletter compilation

• Market Research

Please contact me to discuss your Marketing Training requirements. I am happy to explore options and present detailed specifications for the training.