Marketing when it's too late

As a marketing expert, I receive daily inquiries on both my LinkedIn and Twitter (ok X!) from business owners asking how I can help them marketing their business.

Some are for limited temporary or specific tasks. Others for long-term marketing, from strategies and go-to-market plans to implementation and managing marketing operations.

While a slight majority reaches out at the right time, during early stages of a startup or growth stages of an established business, a good share of inquiries comes from businesses in distress, seeking "emergency" help.

Unfortunately for many, they only arrived too late. Without a miracle from heaven, their only obvious next destination is out of business.

What do I mean by too late?

1. When income sources are dry and re-investment capabilities are depleted: A life-saving plan for your business means literally re-inventing the business as if it is being started again from scratch. This needs considerable investment, not a few hundred dollars on Instagram ads.
2. When no investment has been made in marketing for years: weak brand equity, high employee turn-over, no partnerships, no digital assets, bad customer experience, zero data, weak reputation etc... The decline in business performance, that pushed you to seek urgent help, is hardly reversible at this stage.
3. When the business is already launched and the capital investment did not take marketing expenditures into account: The business ends up incapable of starting to build market links or attracting customers and generating revenues.

What's worse than going out of business in this case is actually staying in it, kicking the can down the road, spilling all sorts of toxic outcomes over their employees, service providers, partners, clients and the whole business environment.

The timing of when you seek marketing expertise can make or break your business. As a marketing professional, I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum: businesses that thrive because they engage marketing at the right moment, and others that fail because they wait until it’s too late.

Marketing is not a last-minute fix but a foundational investment that should be integrated from the start. Waiting until the business is on the brink of collapse often means that even the best strategies may not be enough to turn the tide.

It's crucial to understand that effective marketing requires foresight, consistent effort, and adequate resources. By prioritizing marketing early on, businesses can build strong brand equity, foster valuable partnerships, and ensure long-term sustainability, rather than facing the grim reality of too little, too late.