Tempt Marketing is switching a turbulent 2020 for turbo-charged growth plans thanks for support from Excelerate Labs.
Based in Manchester, Tempt Marketing was celebrating its second year supporting brands in the events & hospitality industry when it was hit by the sudden lockdown restrictions introduced in March 2020. With the industry decimated in just a matter of hours, moving forward seemed almost impossible.
Tempt Marketing owner, Beccy Gibson explains: “I was a bit lost in terms of direction. I was ‘busy’ working with clients, but feeling very overworked, underpaid and stuck in a bit of a hamster wheel, unable to focus on the bigger picture. I had the vision for wanting to grow, but unsure on how to take the leaps needed.
“I had lost confidence, and I because I struggled to break the cycle I was in, I felt frustrated and forever stressed I didn’t have enough time. I had goals and dreams for the business but felt very far away from making them happen.”
While schemes such as ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ offered a lifeline for many restaurants, cafes and coffee shops during the summer, bars, pubs, clubs and venues unable to sell food were left out in the cold. The knock-on effect for Beccy and Tempt Marketing meant a loss of focus.
Beccy Gibson, Tempt Marketing
“I wasn’t proactively looking for the right clients, I was complacent with letting enquiries come to me and jumping at these opportunities even if they weren’t the fit and not profitable.”
“I was over servicing hugely for clients without even realising and therefore my time was being drained and opportunity for growth felt non-existent.”
Beccy was approached by The Women’s Organisation on LinkedIn and was introduced to Excelerate Labs. She said: “I wanted to grow, generate more revenue, profit and personal income to reinvest in learning new skills, growing a team, and having the breathing space to actually take time off to reflect.
“Long term, I want to want to influence the industry, lead, and inspire others.”
Working with a business mentor to realign her business goals and mindset, Beccy was able to draw strength from her 2020 practices to drive Tempt Marketing into 2021 with confidence.
“I was already aware of The Women’s organisation through Twitter however, I didn’t fully understand the depth of support they were able to provide until I first met with my programme mentor, Mike.
“Within the first ten minutes of a Zoom call, I knew I wanted to work with Mike to develop my business.”
“His ‘say it like it is’ approach and sound advice towards business growth really motivated me and had geared me up to change my mindset, hold my self accountable and make the right changes in order to move forward.”
Beccy benefited from support in influencer marketing, lead generation and client management advice and tips from Mike. She also took inspiration from hearing how other individuals and businesses in her sector have also overcome the same challenges.
“I set time aside to work through business development and lead generation plans with focus, rather than trying to just ‘network’ without specific aims. I value my time and don’t unnecessarily over service clients as I was doing in the past.”
Now on a much clearer path to achieving her business goals with confidence, Beccy believes the Excelerate Labs mentoring sessions have enabled her to think in a more strategic way and to attract the right clients and increase profits. Since working with Excelerate Labs, Tempt Marketing has increased quality business pipeline opportunities meaning more hours for the part time team members.
Being the best version of yourself and running a successful business go hand in hand and Beccy’s renewed focus is already paying off, she said: “I feel like my vision is much clearer, and I value my own time and work so much more than I ever did. I am confident that putting in resources and time into the areas that need it will pay dividends in the future.
“I’ve been nominated for two recent awards, Entrepreneur of the Year at Downtown In Business Awards and Marketing & Creative of the Year at Pro Manchester’s ‘Made In Manchester Awards’”
Beccy says she feels more positive about the future and isn’t afraid to lose potential clients that aren’t the right fit or don’t have the budget.
“I’m still on a journey to learn more, but my mentoring sessions with Mike have already given a new way of thinking, with focus and determination to move my business forward in the right direction. We are now ready to take on bigger, exciting projects.”
To find out more about Tempt Marketing click here.
Beccy accessed business-growth support through Excelerate Labs. Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Excelerate Labs supports residents of Greater Manchester working in the business-to-business sector to start, innovate, diversify, grow and create jobs. If you are based in Greater Manchester and interested in accessing business support, to find out more email: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.
