Engage Comms is a teenager! As founders of a B2B marketing communications consultancy in 2012, we have survived a global pandemic, won numerous industry awards, worked with clients from a toilet roll manufacturer to an international skills organisation, had to navigate ever-changing digital communication trends, and learnt a lot along the way. To celebrate our 13th birthday, here are the 13 lessons we’ve learnt since launching the business:
  1. It’s a long game: There are no quick wins or shortcuts. Stick to your original values in an ever-changing environment. Create a clear proposition and keep refining it. Incremental steps combined with big goals for the win.
  2. Pivot!: It’s worth shouting this one out in the office (a la Ross Geller from Friends) every so often as a reminder that, while constant evolution is necessary, it is about pivoting on the same axis, not completely switching lanes every time the peaks turn into troughs.
  3. Own it: If you make a mistake, fix it. If there’s a problem, find a solution. Don’t wait for things to fall in your lap – because they won’t. As a founder, accountability isn’t optional.
  4. Know your worth: Don’t over sell or under sell yourself. Once you’ve got the experience and the track record, you don’t have to justify every hour of your time. Put value on the outcomes over the outputs.
  5. Let your work do the talking: Showcase what you do by telling the story of how you’ve solved your clients problems, even if you can’t explicitly name them or give all the details. Case studies are king.
  6. Set clear boundaries and expectations: This has been one of the hardest lessons for us to learn. When your assets are your time and expertise, giving away all your gold for free will put you out of business. Commitment to service excellence isn’t the same as insecure people pleasing.
  7. Don’t be a copy cat: You can’t be taken out by competitors if you create and deliver something truly unique. Find your niche and be the best at it. Ideally, make it something that no one else wants to do or can do.
  8. Put purpose first: You’ll only be truly successful in business if you find what you do rewarding on a deeper level than the bottom line. Believe in the causes you work for and say no to the ones that aren’t aligned with your values.
  9. There is no ‘formula’ to business relationships and decisions: No algorithm or analytics can tell you what business decisions humans will make. There are almost always a range of factors outside of your control and they’ll be different every time. Don’t take it personally and don’t change your strategy because of one unexpected rejection. Go with your gut.
  10. Become complacent at your peril: Sweat the small stuff. Diversify. Have a back-up plan. Have several back up plans. Expect the unexpected. Be prepared to walk away from bad business. Make hay while the sun shines.
  11. Curiosity killed the cat – but keeps your business alive: Be a lifelong learner – learn new skills, learn from mistakes, learn from others. Most importantly, be genuinely interested and become an expert in what your clients do. It will keep both you and their audiences engaged.
  12. Practice what you preach: This is still a work in progress for us. Like a hairdresser who never gets round to styling their own hair or a mechanic who drives round in an old banger, doing for ourselves what we do for our clients is easier said than done. But there’s one thing we never compromise on…
  13. Quality. Over. Quantity. Always: Anyone who’s been following us from day one will be bored to death of hearing us say this by now but if you know, you know.

If you’re an ambitious SME or growing organisation in a niche sector with social purpose – get in touch to find out how we can help realise your goals.