Tips for small business to start their marketing online

Paola Murillo from Latincouver, the hub for Latin people in Vancouver, invited me to make a short presentation at the event Creating business in British Columbia.

My contribution was to give some very basic ideas about starting from zero an on line marketing strategy for little business. Fifteen minutes to condense so many things that converted it in a 'mission impossible' but there I went.

The intention was to explain more 'what not to do' than 'what to do'. Sometimes we hear and read so many things with few criteria that can easy lead you to failure instead achieve success little by little specially when resources are not a lot and the only one working on everything, including the marketing, is you.

In short: use your brain and take time to think about all the details or steps along the way. Marketing, at a very early stage of the adventure, is about logic and apply what you already know from the analogical world of human relationships to the digital one.

Feel free to download the Tips to start an online marketing strategy presentation in PDF

That was my moment of feeling like one of those marketing gurus making their living from writing and presenting but not from getting their hands dirty working on real projects. Advice is a cheap thing to give.

Cristina Lewarne from Crocodilebaby, owner of one of the largest baby stores in Vancouver, was really funny explaining her business adventures. Arriving from Brazil. Ruining her millions in an unprofitable art gallery and starting from scratch till being again a successful business woman against all odds.

At a certain point she said something I liked a lot: "I don't have business plan, I have goals". Maybe this is a very Latin-Brazilian approach to life and business but I love it.

After the presentations it was a great pleasure to get introduced to many of the Latin community and practice like crazy this very typical sport here: exchange business cards.

Thanks Paola.