A good beginning makes a good ending.
It is very important to begin our things well in order to end them well. Business needs a good beginning in order to for it to flourish well. Most businesses are hitting the hard rock because they started on a bad note. During the first ever Vessels of Virtue expo in Zimbabwe Malcohm Timm, with 17 years experience in marketing in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, gave the proper order of starting a business. This knowledge can help entrepreneurs who want to start businesses in Zimbabwe start the proper way.
Speaking from his experience, Malcohm Timm said that the proper order in business starts with marketing, then branding and advertising after branding. According Timm the following is the proper order in doing business.
1. Marketing
Timm defines marketing as the activity, set of institutions and processes, for creating, communicating, delivering exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners. It incorporates research and development; knowledge, understanding, perspectives; gaps, opportunities, advantages and also strategies for engagement. Marketing also incorporates market contacts and interaction; and anticipation.
Marketing applies approaching relevant sources.
“Find people who are living by what they are doing.” said Timm explaining the relevant sources to approach.
Marketing also applies understanding the the trading landscape market; understanding the competition and also one should not stop learning.
2. Branding
Timm defines a brand as the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan or design of the company who owns the idea or image.
Branding exceeds the creation of logos according to Timm. It corporate the definition of who you are exactly in business. Branding also incoporate distinction (what makes you different from the crowd in business); consistency and also ethos (vision, mission, values and culture). It is important to consider positioning, personality, promise to the market and also congruence.
3. Advertising
Advertising is also in the proper order of doing business. The best advertising is experimental according to Timm. People buy goods out of the experiments they get from them.
Summary
The order of doing business starts with marketing and then goes to branding, advertising then follows and then marketing again. For a good business you have to continue researching and learning about your market and business. Learn and learn and continue learning about what your business.
