The changes to the Micro and Small Business Grant Schemes, which were ratified by Tynwald this week, are a welcome boost to new and emerging businesses on the Island, says local communications consultant Chris Holland.

Chris, Director of Coburg Communications, is particularly pleased to see that the DED now recognises that new and emerging businesses do not just need grants to purchase equipment, but also need help to buy in the marketing skills they might not have themselves.

As he says. “The previous grant schemes allowed you to buy equipment such as office furniture, vehicles and laptops, all of which are necessary and practical, but there was no grant assistance towards what can be the most vital element of any new business – marketing.”

Chris, who prior to setting up his own business worked for international organisations with large marketing budgets, has seen first-hand how effective carefully targeted marketing can be. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth. “This is particularly important for new start-ups where every penny counts,” says Chris. “The government’s own Small Business Start Up Scheme includes a module on marketing, but it is only now that they have extended the grant scheme to cover this essential component of any business strategy.”

“Marketing is a very broad church,” says Chris, “but the common perception is that it is just advertising. Not so. Advertising can be part of the mix, but there is a lot more to it than that. It all comes down to communication. If you get the message right, at the right time to the right people, then not only will you have saved yourself a lot of time and money but you’ll be spending that time and money in the most effective way you can.”

“And there is no shame in admitting you don’t have the skills to do this yourself,” says Chris. “You wouldn’t pay a plasterer to fix your car so why not employ an expert to help with your marketing?”