A Jerry Maguire Mission Statement about running a small business.
In the Summer of 2010 I was working at my kitchen table (most people's first office) launching my own Marketing, Media and PR company, Local Buzz Marketing. I owned one computer, which occasionally turned itself off without warning, and I was at the start of my very own Jerry Maguire moment. "Who's with me?". Going out on your own is a brave and scary step. Fast forward 10 years and a decent business exists, and a group of talented friends, with portfolio of work that makes us very proud. But it was not plain sailing. Here's my very own Jerry Maguire story, and I hope it inspires other start ups, however small, to give it a go.
The things we think and do not say.
Being in business is very tough. There are many days that creep up on you out of nowhere and set you back without warning. Running your own business will, without any doubt, occasionally gift you days that are a real gut punch. This much I was forced to learn very quickly. Running your own business can be a very lonely experience too, especially in the beginning. As the business grows there will be more lonely moments, likely linked to finances, where so many mental health issues arise. It’s tough out there! You need support, and family or friends to talk things through with. I love the good days, there’s lot’s of them, and thankfully I now take the tougher days on the chin. You have to learn to do this or you will not survive! One more thing, the customer isn’t always right, but you can’t run a business without them, so if you can't get your head around 'the customer is always right', this probably isn't for you. That's just a few of the things we think and do not say about being in business.
Definitely do not be average.
Whatever service you provide or product you sell, do not be average! Be passionate about being the best. It's fairly obvious but I meet so many business owners who seem to overlook this. Also, you're going to enjoy what you do a lot more if you add passion into the mix. If it is not there, your current idea is most likely not going to be the one you end up doing.
I’m grateful that we go wrong sometimes.
Consistency is hard when you are busy and growing. Along the way, we did not get everything right, but every time, we grew from it and learned a little more, and suddenly I look back and I’m grateful that we go wrong sometimes. This has made us what we are today. I’d say with confidence that the most successful businesses are the ones who made mistakes and learned from them.
Who’s with me?
I worked incredibly hard for the first few years. To launch a new business from scratch and throw it into the world, think about that for a moment? It's tough, and it will be very hard to get people onboard, and believing in you. You have to fight right from the start. You'll need to dig deeper than you ever have. People will follow you and share in your successes if your effort levels are high and they can see you're giving it everything. If your product or service offering is smart, you'll have plenty of people that want to join you on your journey, and you need good people around you! Everyone has the Jerry Maguire moment, 'Who’s with me?' but soon that passes, you'll worry less about that and more about systems and processes for growth before too long.
We discovered what worked best, why it worked, and how to repeat it.
When it came to winning new business, we had a lot of positive things on our side. After all, we're a marketing company, so we had lots of creative ideas for capturing peoples attention. We discovered what worked best, why it worked, and how to repeat it. Every time we did this, we repeated it for our clients. We have helped so many brands to start and grow using our own philosophy.
You had me at hello.
You only get a micro moment to impress on the World Wide Web, “You had me at hello”. A micro moment for someone get to know you and then become a long-term client is a fine art. When you start understanding this, you start talking differently. Once you do this your brand is beginning.
Brave moments and creativity.
In 2018 our team was beginning to grow and Buzz Studios was forming. We launched our own magazine called, What's the Buzz? That was a big moment of creativity and bravery in my eyes. Our original company Local Buzz Marketing had a great reputation, and I felt it was time to be brave. Next we did something very unexpected. We launched a marketing platform for the financial services industry. That platform is now used by the largest financial services network in the UK. I attribute our growth and success to brave moments and creativity. When everyone is turning left, turn right. Put faith in that philosophy. It makes you stand out at the crucial moments. Looking back to day one starting Buzz, I could not imagine we'd end up doing something as big as this, but here we are, and it does make you proud. I am most proud of our team, they surprise me every week. You know you've hired right when that happens. Our team now gives me the confidence to take a step back. That's a great feeling as a business owner, and it also gave me a bit more time to spend with my wife Jo and our 4 year old daughter Florence.
Show me the money!
What are my best tips for launching a new business? Think about the micro moments where a potential customer interacts with your brand online for the first time. If you want to win good business you can't beg for it, you need to capture it by winning the customers imagination. You're going to need to be resilient, focussed and creative. Then you're going to need a team that thinks like you. Good luck Jerry Maguire!
Jonathan Orchard is the owner of Buzz Studios in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. https://www.buzz-studios.co.uk/ Buzz Studios is a small Marketing, Media and PR Group. Jonathan Launched his company in 2010, growing his team to 10 people in Cambridgeshire, with an offshore office of designers, developers, filmmakers and content creators.