FAQ

16 Month marketing essentials program
BIG PICTURE Strategy session
GET SMARTER MARKETING BOOK
MARKETING ASSESSMENT
GENERAL QUESTIONS FOR JILL

How does the Program work?

The 16 month Program is organized to provide you with strategic guidance, ongoing training for your staff and mentoring so that the marketing plan is implemented. The program is delivered in 2 phases through workshops, one-on-one meetings, reporting, training sessions and online project management tools.

Phase 1 - Intensive (4 months)

This covers Strategy, Branding, Messaging & Content and requires greater investment of time and energy from both the client and Harbren.

Phase 2 - Implementation (12 months)

This includes monthly marketing management meeting, weekly mentoring phone call with marketing staff, monthly training and ongoing guidance with implementation

Who is the program for?

The program works best for established small businesses that have

a turnover of $1.5+ million and 8+ staff members
are willing to listen
frustrated with their current results
want to take control of their marketing and develop their own expertise.

How does your pricing work?

We charge a flat rate for the 16 months, payable monthly, so there are no surprises or bill shock.

The 16 month program is divided up into 2 phases and each phases is priced differently to reflect the input required:

Phase 1 - Intensive (4 months)

This covers Strategy, Branding, Messaging & Content and requires greater investment of time and energy from both the client and Harbren.

Phase 2 - Implementation (12 months)

This includes monthly marketing management meeting, weekly mentoring phone call with marketing staff, monthly training and ongoing guidance with implementation

What happens after the 16 months is up? Can I continue working with you?

After the initial two phases covered over 16 months, if all is going well, we can graduate you to Phase 3 - Performance. Only those companies that meet the following criteria will be accepted into this level:

able to provide ongoing support for marketing
they need to be doing what they say they will
committed to achieving results
willing to co-pilot marketing and continually improve

How much time do I need to commit?

As the business owner, you’ll need to be available for a recorded interview and a workshop to deep dive into your business as well as monthly meetings. In the beginning during Phase 1, there will be more regular sessions to gather information needed to create a strategic plan. The extent to which you need to be involved will depend on the number and availability of your team.

What if I don’t have an appropriate staff member to work as a marketing associate?

If that is the case we can work with you to recruit a staff member as part of the program. Just know that this will slow down the program, depending on the person’s experience and the time needed to induct a new team member into the way your business operates.

Do you charge on an hourly rate?

No, we don’t. We’ve found that is not a productive way to do business. Our focus is on outcomes, not the clock.

How are you different from a marketing agency?

Good point, I’m glad you’ve raised it! Typically a marketing agency will do a lot, if not all, of your marketing for you. That works well for some businesses. However, the main problem with this model is that there is no up-skilling within your business when you use an agency. All the doing happens elsewhere and there is no detailed knowledge transfer taking place. This means that marketing can be a weakness for your business rather than a strength for the following reasons:

1. As marketing is removed from the business of dealing with and servicing customers, the ability to react to changes is slower.

2. The market intelligence gained from trying different activities isn’t passed onto the business in any meaningful way. There maybe reports about what happened but the focus is usually on metrics rather than a narrative around what worked, what didn’t and why.

3. If you decide to change agencies then all the knowledge, experience and systems are gone, often meaning that a new agency is starting over from the beginning again which isn’t a great use of your limited resources.

How much do we get of you?

You will be allocated a Marketing Coach when you join the program. The role of the coach is to set the strategy for your business, to train your staff, and mentor and coach them. There is no set amount of contact hours that you receive as part of the service. There will be weekly meetings with your marketing staff member and the Coach will be contactable via phone, email and through the online project management software that Harbren uses. Training sessions will be arranged each month and example content provided to assist with knowledge transfer.

How much time will be spent by the Coach doing tasks?

The aim of the program is to provide you with a more senior marketing resource that can help guide the direction and growth of your business. This is done through the creation of a strategic marketing plan, action plan delivered through online project management software, a content plan and other strategic guiding documents. The role of the Coach is not to directly implement your marketing activities but to guide your staff so they can learn and take control of it.

How does the Strategy Session work?

The Strategy Session, takes around 2 hours, and is typically carried out at your offices. The session is recorded so that you can review it as many times as you need to. It follows a set format but is customized for your business. We cover your top issues, what the roadblocks are and what can be done to solve them.

What will I get out of it?

You will come away with a one-page roadmap for your business, a better understanding of the top issues that need to be addressed and an audio recording allowing for unlimited reviews.

Who is it for?

The book was written for small business owners. There is so many options when it comes to marketing, its not surprising many small business owners are confused about what they can do to improve sales.

The aim of the book is not to turn a business owner into a marketing manager but rather inform them of the key concepts so they can make better decisions around their marketing.

What will I get out of it?

A step by step guide to putting together a marketing plan for your small business. It also covers how to get help with your marketing including questions to ask and what to avoid. At the end of each chapter is a list of action items that you can implement in your business.

Why did Jill write the book?

Jill wrote the book because she often comes across small business owners who are frustrated by ‘marketing types’ trying to sell them what they are offering rather than what their business needs. The aim is to provide small business owners with the key aspects they need to know about marketing so they feel equipped to make good decisions.

What is the assessment based on?

The assessment is based on 20+ years of experience in dealing with the challenges and struggles of small businesses. It is divided into three areas as these are the key elements that are key to success:

planning

implementation

expertise

Is there a fee for the assessment?

No, there is no charge for doing the assessment or the report that you receive after you’ve completed it.

Can I take the assessment more than once?

Absolutely, you can take it as many times as you’d like to. You can use it as a way to assess your progress and as a checklist of the key elements that your marketing needs to include.

What experience do you have?

I have 20+ years of working in, with and for small businesses. Over that time I’ve made many mistakes (too many to list here!) and learned what works and what doesn’t to increase sales.

Why do you do what you do?

I believe that small businesses can be a powerful force. My goal is to empower others to innovate so they can go beyond what they thought was possible and create a far better tomorrow than they imagined today.

I see a world where more small businesses have the processes and finely-tuned systems of big business but the dynamism and flexibility that comes from staying small and nimble. These are the businesses that will solve the problems of tomorrow and will be the envy of big corporates.

Do you have industry experience?

I've worked with a variety of small businesses in many different industries and different situations. I've been involved in both business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) marketing.