20 Nov A fresh start
Following some uncertainty and discomfort at the start of Lockdown, we were on the receiving end of more than the usual number of enquiries over the summer. It seems a lot of business owners made use of the extra time they had on their hands during lockdown to step back and take a look at their businesses. I’ve done it myself. When you do, you notice that you have been ‘making do’ or putting things off ‘because you’re too busy’ and it dawns on you that 1) it really isn’t good enough and 2) you’re kidding yourself that you’re getting away with it.
Reset
Reset has become a bit of a COVID cliché but that’s exactly what a lot of us are doing. We’ve been working with our existing clients and some returning customers on new product launches and marketing initiatives and assets, which are situation appropriate, and I am pleased to report that despite the challenges and a lot of hard work, the great majority have survived the pandemic well; some have thrived. The co-dependency of our relationships with customers, some of which go back 10 years or more, has really come in to sharp focus and it has been genuinely heart-warming to both feel the support of our clients and to watch my team working with real commitment to create new opportunities for them in return.
Ready or not?
Inevitably we have lost some business; one or two we have had to say goodbye to, but I expect others will return when they are able to. At the same time, our (currently virtual) doors remain open to anybody and we’ve had exploratory meetings with 21 new business prospects since the end of June; these are good businesses and it’s an exceptionally high number for this time of year. Of course, we’re not right for everybody. Some businesses aren’t quite ready for us yet, some don’t have the budget and obviously sometimes we just don’t hit it off, but I hope we have at least given our visitors some help and guidance during our discussions and we have wished them well. Pleasingly though, we have been engaged for some very exciting new branding, web design and social media projects by companies who have committed to their own fresh start.
New customers and new ways of working
A warm welcome to The Language Shop, University of West London, Marsons Solicitors, Jelaco, Tenax, Direct Security, Clear Engineering Recruitment and Sporting Way. Of course, the MO with our new customers has been virtual from the off. As we greet Lockdown 2 ‘This Time it’s Tedious’, this way of working has become normal for us all hasn’t it? Of course, the RONIN team is missing a natter in the office, free coffee, lunchtime shopping and Beer-cart Friday, and we have had to on-board two new starters remotely. But otherwise we’ve gotten used to it. So if you want to have a chat, please give us a call on 020 3701 3979.