Marketing podcast with John Spence (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)

Many small business owner don’t pay much heed to some of the routinely accepted practices of large organizations. Things like mission statements, culture and branding seem like tools for that distant future when they get big.

Here’s my take – small businesses have the very same needs when it comes to planning and may actually benefit more from a focus on vision and culture because they can actually do more to influence it directly.

My guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is John Spence. John is a consultant, speaker, trainer and author of several books including Awesomely Simple. John has developed a reputation for helping very large organizations break down and communicate their vision and values. (You can pick up some free resources from the book here)

I bumped into John at an event where I was speaking and it occurred to me that his message was one that more small businesses should hear.

In this session we talk about:

• The need to create a vision for your business
• Why communicating values can help attract the right customers
• How you culture may well be your brand
• The value of attracting the best talent (suppliers, vendors, and partners)

John’s book is a quick read and shines a light on some topics that small businesses can ill afford to sit out.