Maintain Your Business Lawn

Whether we are actually in a recession or not, it's a fact that the U.S. economy is in an economic drought. But this doesn't mean that you need to let your business' marketing budget dry up.

I'm one of those homeowners that's proud of his lawn. I'm fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood where most people have well-manicured lawns. After all, we've had plenty of rain in Indianapolis, Indiana this year, so everyone should have a green lawn. Mowing, weeding, pruning, edging, and trimming are activities that, when I'm done, give me satisfaction and instant gratification. I can step out into the street, look back at my yard and think, "Wow! Now that's a nice looking lawn."

But, like the current economy, the weather isn't always ideal. Last year we had drought conditions. Keeping my lawn from looking like the dusty main street in a Spaghetti Western, complete with tumbling tumble weeds, took time and a moderate financial investment. I had to water my lawn a little more. I had to spend more money on fertilizer and weed control. I cut my grass a little longer to retain moisture. I educated myself on how to keep my lawn looking nice in a drought and made the necessary investments and adjustments to keep my grass green and growing.

Many of my neighbors, on the other hand, took the easy route. They simply gave up. Some saw it as an opportunity to not have to mow as frequently. Others apparently said, "My neighbors aren't keeping their lawns nice, so why should I?" Still, others reallocated or eliminated their lawn maintenance budgets.

We are in an economic drought and most businesses are going to react in much the same way as many of my neighbors did with their lawns. They may view marketing, like mowing, as a necessary evil and welcome a break from executing their marketing plan. There are those that will look around and say, "Hey, our competitors aren't marketing so why should we?" Then, there are those businesses that decide to cut marketing expenses in an effort to show investors a bigger profit margin.

I can't tell you how many times my neighbors and visitors to my home commented how nice my lawn looked last summer. The grass was green and the flowers were colorful. And guess what I discovered this Spring? My lawn was the first one to turn green. My neighbors, on the other hand, were aerating, de-thatching, re-seeding and trying to get their dandelions under control. While I had minimal lawn maintenance costs, I know they probably out spent me four to one just trying to get their lawns back into shape.

Learn from my neighbors. Don't cut back or skimp on your marketing budgets during an economic down swing. Don't be a lemming. Sure, it's easy to follow your competitor and cut your budgets and staff. And, if you are cutting your marketing budgets now just so you can show a bigger profit, I've got news for you. You may be the hero now, but one day it will catch up with you and...BAM! You'll have to explain to your investors why you don't have any growth and are losing market share.

Businesses that grow and prosper are the ones that stay the course and may even increase their marketing activities. It will be your businesses that consumers will notice when it's time to make a purchase. And when the economy does turn around, you won't have to spend as much time, energy and money to position yourself in the market place.

To learn how BTK & Associates can help you maximize your marketing budget and maintain top of mind awareness in today's economic conditions, visit www.btkmarketing.com or email me at brian@btkmarketing.com.