Business mentor: Love plays a significant part in the strategy of communication

Q. I'm a business owner with a passion for my work. My enthusiasm results in lots of referrals but I now want to expand my business significantly by communicating my passion for my work more strategically and on a limited budget. Any ideas?

A. Gabrielle Tourelle, general manager of August.One Communications, replies:

Experience has taught me that one of the most valuable elements of communications is love - the love of what you do, the passion you apply to your customers and your ability to inspire others to do business with you are elements communications professionals look for in clients.

But if your budget does not allow you to outsource your communications to an expert, there are still powerful ways to build your own reputation.

* Develop the strategy: If you are in business you are already a strategist. You also already have a business plan based on your dreams and goals. Now, apply this same thinking to your communications. Start by clearly defining who your competitors are and what the market wants. Work out your strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. Seeking perspectives from others is recommended.

* Define your message: Your message about who you are and what you sell must be clear and simple. Test it on the people you want to reach first.

* Know your audiences: You must define your audiences and spend time getting to know them. By understanding their needs you will be able to see how you fit into their world. The easy part is that many of you will be actually selling to people just like yourself - other small business owners. Know what these people read, where they go and what organisations they belong to. Then think about how you can be featured in these publications or consider joining the same organisations for networking. You will also have key influencers you need to reach and influence. These people can include media, the Government, analysts and industry bodies.

* Create your story: Consider yourself a storyteller. But stay clear of the fairytale approach - be able to stack your story up with facts and proof points. If your story crumbles under scrutiny you are wasting your time. Your story needs to be able to connect with others' needs, so trying to think through the eyes of your potential customers will help.

* Share your story: Building positive media relationships is a cost-effective way to build your company's profile. Media can be a great way to reach many people at one time. You can also tap into specific audiences - for example, people who read magazines about pets.

* For more information Email Gabrielle or ph 09-913 7520

* Email us your small business question