In this episode of Business Made Smarter, Ed Nell and Doug D’Aubrey look back over a tough year for small businesses and the core marketing themes they’ve covered on the podcast. They talk about the real impact of higher employment costs, why some businesses chose to close rather than adapt, and how others used planning, pricing and better marketing to have their best year ever.

Key Takeaways

It’s been a brutal year for small businesses. Increases in minimum wage and national insurance have forced owners to review viability; some have closed, others have had to find tens of thousands just to stand still.

Don’t cut marketing, make it work harder. Slashing marketing is a short-term saving that usually hurts long-term survival. The answer is not “spend nothing” but “spend only on what clearly works”.

Measure and monitor every channel. Track where every enquiry comes from and review monthly. If a channel delivers no leads (like the Yellow Pages example), stop it and redeploy the spend.

Scale with a plan, not blind hope. In a tougher economy you still need to grow, but you must plan it: budgets, marketing, pricing and capacity. Done well, you can cover rising costs and still have your best year.

Organise and re-engage your database. Tag customers in your CRM (by region, status, recency, etc.) and create offers for existing, lapsed and cold contacts. A well-organised database plus smart automation can revive thousands of “cold” leads.

Plan your marketing quarter by quarter. A simple quarterly plan (socials, networking, email, trade shows, seasonal pushes) keeps activity consistent and aligned to when your market actually buys, not when you happen to think of it.

Next year’s focus: small business management and productivity. With people more expensive than ever, 2026’s series will dig into systems, efficiency and getting maximum performance and profit from the team you have.

Best Moments

“You’ve got to find that extra £74,000 just to stand still, so we asked, how are we going to grow as well?”

“Don’t just stop the marketing. Cut the waste, measure the results, and double down on what’s actually working.”

“Your target market isn’t ‘everyone’ – you’re looking for the one spot on the wall where the mud sticks.”

“Next year is all about maximising performance in the business: productivity, efficiency, and, ultimately, profitability.”

About the host

Doug D’Aubrey, founder and Managing Director of Executive Training and Consultancy (ETC), leverages extensive senior management experience to help businesses across the UK and Europe. With tailored consultancy packages ranging from short-term projects to 3-year growth programs, Doug aids companies in improving operations and achieving results. Doug’s success lies in his honest communication with leaders, identifying strategies to enhance management skills and optimise service delivery for measurable outcomes.

Take advantage of a FREE 2-hour Business Review with ETC’s expert consultants to identify goals, tackle challenges, and create a clear plan for growth. Visit https://exec-tc.com/ to book your review.

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