“Where do you get new clients from?” It’s a question that often crops up in business and social discussions. My answer is always that existing clients are the best source of new ones and that, consequently, our most effective method of advertising is to ensure we do a good job.

But the question always makes me ask myself whether we are doing enough to spread the word about what we have to offer, and even that we exist in the first place. My answer here is always the same too – we are a small firm with a limited amount to spend on marketing and therefore any expenditure has to be focused.

Brainwashing the public
Those with deeper pockets take a different approach. You only have to open the door to your wardrobe or your kitchen cupboard to see the number of branded products on show. Ask anyone whose slogan is ‘Every little helps’ or ‘Just Do It’, and you will get a high number of correct responses. So, brainwashing the public by constant advertising, particularly on television, does work for those who can afford to throw the money at it.

HMRC could help the smaller firms, but chooses not to. A major company launching a new product or a name-awareness campaign gets tax relief on its expenditure, taking 20% or more off the cost of the exercise. If I take someone to lunch to encourage the one-on-one approach on which my business development is based, I get no tax relief and cannot recover the VAT. If Messrs Cameron and Osborne are serious about helping small businesses, they might look at this situation.

In the meantime, I’ll keep spreading the word by doing as good a job as I can – and writing articles for The Local Answer of course!