Before I launched Ellen Grace Marketing in 2015, I had the privilege to work with several large retailers. Working for companies such as Nordstrom, Harry & David, DFS Galleria, and Leslie’s Pool Supplies, I learned the ins and outs of retail. Large companies are smart in how they look at their marketing and sales data, often referring to it daily to help them make strategic decisions in regards to their business.

Through conversations with friends who had opened a retail store or who were selling products and services online, I discovered that there was an opportunity. These small business owners were all so brilliant at sourcing products, passionate about what they were doing and strived to truly understand their customers. With so much to do, these small business owners often neglected their marketing or analyzing their sales data.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

When you run a small business, it can sometimes feel as if you are up against the big guys. Always trying to compete with companies who have a larger staff, bigger budgets, and more experience. You can easily feel defeated trying to stand out in such a saturated market.

That said, there are a number of things a small business can do much better than a larger business can.

• BE PERSONAL – with fewer customers/clients we can hand-write thank you notes and take the time to respond to all DMs. We can also show an authentic personal side to our business and highlight the real people behind the services better than a larger company can.

• BE NIMBLE – we can change course much easier. We don’t have the layers of executives and red-tape to get through before reaching the decision makers and taking action. Therefore, a small business can easily pivot directions when needed, unlike the Titanic.

• BE SPECIALIZED – we can choose to do a few things really well and not be persuaded to do more because of investors, or other people agendas. We don’t have to try to be everything to everyone (even though we want to.)

The thing that excites me the most about working with small business owners, is that their companies can change and adapt quickly based on their marketing analytics. Decisions can be made on the spot, with the ROI being seen almost immediately. While bigger companies will often discover opportunities to grow their sales, it is more challenging and costly to adjust. It takes time and money to make your way all the way up to the decision makers at the top.

How We Help Small Business

Ellen Grace Marketing was created with the mission to help business with few resources work smarter and think like those larger retailers. Most small and medium-sized business owners have so much on their plate that they will either look at data – from financial documents to engagement metrics on social platforms – in a siloed fashion or not at all. And without the data in hand, for all aspects of their business, they are at a disadvantage. The team at Ellen Grace specializes in collecting all kinds of data from a business and packaging it up into a concise overview. By doing this, we are helping businesses see their opportunities to grow and achieve their financial goals.

Regardless of how we support our clients and their teams, setting goals and consistently looking at the data is fundamental to our services. Our primary service is for business owners who are tired of just “winging it” and are ready to embrace the CEO role of their company. We teach them how to look at their financial and marketing data so they can make smarter decisions that impact the health and future of their growing company.

We would love the opportunity to help you dive into the data of your business so you can think start thinking like the CEO of your business. Connect with us today to learn more!