Sweet Size

When I was a youngster, trick-or-treating meant claiming a full-size candy bar at nearly every house you visited. You might find the occasional single-wrapped butterscotch, and there was always the dental health advocate pushing toothbrushes on unwitting little witches and ghosts. But generally speaking, a worthy trick-or-treater was coming home with a load of great big candy bars. So when did these mini-packages of candy appear?

I am not knocking the mini-packs - quite the contrary. As a mother of two young girls with heads full of sweet teeth, I love these new mini-packages of candy this younger crew of goblins expects these days.

Why do I like the smaller package? It is the perfect parcel of sweets for a youngster (okay, and their mom.) Not so much sugar that the kids are climbing on the ceiling, and just enough to satisfy the desire for something sweet.

And so it goes with marketing. In these days of troubled economic times, hiring a huge advertising or public relations agency is out of the question (and would be unwise) for most small businesses. On the other hand, completely eliminating marketing is the worst thing a business owner can do when trying to drum up business from those carefully watching their pocketbooks.

The solution is hiring a consultant for your marketing needs. Need a brochure? Find a great copywriter. A new web site? A good designer is worth your every penny. Need to publicize an event? A top-notch public relations consultant will get the word out to the media without breaking the bank.

The sweet thing about a consultant is they come with all the experience, but without any extra calories like the expensive overhead of an agency or investment of a full-time employee.

Here’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way: it is not a sign of being proactive or extremely organized stocking up early on Halloween candy … it’s just an excuse to satisfy the sweet tooth of someone who’s a little too grown up to trick-or-treat. It is, however, proactive (and smart) to continue to engage in marketing efforts today, because it is imperative stay top-of-mind with your customers. In the meantime, eating a candy bar the size of a half-dollar never actually hurt anyone.

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done. ~Author Unknown