Nurturing small businesses

The beginning of the pandemic was not the best time for Rechenda Smith, founder of Nurture Marketing. Here she explains how she turned things round – and how she is about host a new series of bitesize marketing workshops for small business owners in Norfolk, raising vital awareness of The Feed charity in the process

I’m startling to settle down now that I am hurtling towards my 40s, but my 20s and 30s were spent exploring the world with travel, musical and cultural experiences, and different roles within marketing. I also had a couple of jobs outside of the industry (estate agent and charity shop manager, would you believe) but I inevitably came back to what I love.

The beginning of the pandemic was not a good time for me. I broke up with a partner that I was living with, was having financial stresses with a flat I owned and ended up with an injury that led to chronic pain. I guess you could say pandemic made me realise it was a time for change. Since then, I have replaced the partner with my cat Jack, sold the flat, used the money to set up my business and moved into a house I absolutely love, back near my family in Norwich – a city I love! I am in my element. It has been a complete turnaround in such a positive way.

For the last few years, I had this underlying need to be my own boss. I think I’m just one of those people who are designed for self-employment. I had dabbled with freelance work in the past but was ready to do something more solid. Once I sold the flat, I crafted a business plan, handed my notice in, and took a leap of faith. Life is too short not to go for these things.

Nurture Marketing puts the power back in the hands of the small business owner. Instead of doing marketing for customers month-on-month, I educate and mentor them to ‘DIY’. At the beginning, we sit down and create a 12-month business development and marketing plan together, then they can have regular check-ins where I set homework. I also offer face-to-face bitesize training courses in marketing in Norwich.

My core values are:

Transparency – this is a big one. I don’t hide my prices; they are all on my website and you can buy my support packs and training courses online. It’s important to be upfront so clients know whether you are in their ballpark from the word go.

Accessibility – quality marketing support should not be available just for larger businesses. That’s why I offer the DIY marketing model.

Education – I am passionate about delivering quality marketing training to small businesses. I want our region to really prosper and one way of doing that is upskilling the business sector in the latest marketing techniques, so they survive and thrive through recession.

Fun & fabulous – I mean, if it’s not fun or fabulous, why do it? Motto for life!

My first ever job when I graduated from UEA back in 2004 was for a Norwich-based homeless charity, so homelessness and poverty have always been important causes to me throughout my life. When I moved back to Norwich, I saw the work they were doing, and it immediately grabbed my attention. I went for coffee with their marketing manager, Chris, and I decided there and then that they were going to be my charity of the year. I am aiming to provide £1,000 worth of input for The Feed in my first year of operation. So far, I have purchased a new washing machine for its new Social Supermarket project, so people in deprived areas of Norwich have somewhere to wash their clothes, if they don’t have one at home or can’t afford a laundrette. I am hosting a series of bitesize marketing courses over the next year at The Feed – my aim here is to introduce the social enterprise to as many business contacts as possible. I’m also paying for venue hire, catering and equipment hire – everything goes to The Feed. Finally, I have a little pro-bono Christmas project up my sleeve – but am sworn to secrecy for now!

I’m offering a series of eight monthly bitesize workshops designed with small business owners in mind called ‘Grow Your Business With…’. The sessions are 9am to 11am and cost £30 each. Sessions cover LinkedIn, email marketing, content and SEO, branding, Instagram, PR, websites, and campaigns. The first one is on Friday September 30 and focusses on how to use LinkedIn to drive enquiries. By the end of each workshop, attendees will have the skills to go off and apply these tactics for their own businesses. That’s where the magic is for me, seeing all the enthusiasm and activity!

Marketing is more important than ever. The bottom line is it’s going to get competitive out there. Companies need to start showing how they add value. Not cut prices. I have actually written an article about the 7 tactics you can use to future your biz from recession, which is well worth a read.

My hopes and dreams are to leave a lasting legacy as someone that helped others and really made a difference to people’s lives; and to be happy, content and live each day like it’s my last.

Visit Nurture Marketing, to find out more about the Marketing Training Courses. Rechenda has pledged to raise £1,000 for The Feed in my first year of operation.

Featured image of Rechenda Smith of Nurture Marketing. Picture credit: Rob Dodsworth from brandstorystudio.co.uk