Breef Marketing CEO George Raptis Answers Top 7 Questions For Small Business Owners
1. What is the number one misconception of marketing for small businesses?
That outsourcing isn’t for them. We often see small businesses who are unfamiliar with the agency space relying on in-house resources, leaving agencies to enterprise brands. In reality, boutique agencies offer the most flexibility in terms of budget, timeline, and expertise allowing small business owners the time and resources to do what they do best, while their agency helps their business grow in a smart, cost-effective way.
2. With so much technology and information readily available to small business owners, why do entrepreneurs choose to not outsource their marketing services?
As a co-founder, I’m hyper-aware when it comes to allocating resources at an early stage — there’s a lot to think about! Most often, we see small business owners hesitate to turn to outsourcing marketing due to one of the following:
- Budget concerns
- Lack of familiarity with the agency space
- Unsure of where to find an agency
3. How does marketing factor in when small business owners are planning on growth and scale?
Marketing is an integral part of both the growth and scale of small businesses — and can factor in at any stage of planning. Marketing drives growth in several key ways:
- Builds Brand Awareness: Allows you to gain ‘more eyeballs,’ spread your message, and establish high brand recognition amongst your target market.
- Converts Customers: Attract customers, drive traffic, and ultimately convert them. Marketing helps to drive consumers to respond to your call to action.
- Grows Community (+ Loyalty): Helps to build a community to not only foster brand loyalty but to tap into the perspective of the people that matter most — your customers!
Marketing is also key to scale — using technology and building strategies that create sustainable ways to grow lead generation and conversion is paramount; smart marketing strategy and allocation get you there.
4. At what stage of growth should a small business engage with Breef?
Small businesses can (and should!) engage with Breef at any growth stage. Marketing as a whole has endless functions — early-stage companies typically turn to us for projects like website or brand development, while a later-stage company may use Breef for paid ad strategy or content creation — there are marketing needs at every stage of growth. Because of this, our community of over 15K boutique agencies accommodates a wide range of budgets and provides the tools, technology, and resources needed to take marketing to the next level for businesses of any size or stage.
5. What does Breef focus on when working with a small business owner?
For businesses of all sizes, our focus is to provide an agency search process that is efficient, enjoyable, and for lack of a better term, easy. For small businesses, this is integral as it allows small business owners to outsource essential digital and creative projects, while still having the time to grow and scale their businesses quickly. Traditionally, the agency search process has been long, painful, and anything but linear — Breef is the solve.
On a granular level, there are several benefits of Breef that are key for a successful agency search for small businesses:
- Expert Support: Breef provides expert marketing support. Users have the opportunity to speak with a marketing strategist to chat roadmaps, scopes, and budgets. For small businesses, we focus on getting to the root of marketing needs to best maximize their resources.
- Time-Saving: For small businesses, time is money. We’ve simplified the Request For Proposal (RFP) process, allowing users to find agencies ASAP — on their timeline and budget. This includes easy project scoping (we’ll do it for you!) and agency pitch delivery in < 5 days.
- End-to-End Project Platform: Breef keeps it simple — scope projects, review pitches, and manage all contracts and payments — all in one place.
6. What can NEWITY and Breef provide small business owners in partnership?
While NEWITY provides a streamlined way to obtain working capital, Breef will help guide growth. Small businesses come to Breef to expand their market share and profitability with the right agency partner — on their budget and timeline.
7. If you could give one piece of advice for small business owners, what would it be?
Don’t wait for the ‘perfect moment’ to start selling. Work with customers – they will help you refine your offering. You’ll also figure out how to best serve your market.
Interested in learning more about Breef Marketing?