Practising What I Preach and Putting It to the Test

When you spend your days helping other people build brilliant brands and smarter marketing strategies, there’s always a little voice in your head asking…

“But could you do it for yourself?” Every Consultant’s recurring nightmare when the imposter syndrome kicks in.

Launching Nook and Huddle my coworking and community space in the heart of Malmesbury gave me the chance to find out.

Spoiler: It worked. But not because I did anything flashy that any other small business couldn’t do. It worked because I stayed focused, clear, and intentional.
Just like I tell my clients to do. Nook and Huddle still has a way to go, having only been open a little over three months, but so far, I have far exceeded expectations and forecasts.

So, here are my real-world, small-business, feet-on-the-ground top tips I used to market a brand-new venture - without a big budget and without losing my mind.

1️⃣ Get to Know Your Audience and Your Market (Really Know Them)

You can’t market anything well if you don’t know who you’re speaking to.

Luckily, for Nook and Huddle… I am the audience.
I built the space I wish existed when I was working solo and wanted community, flexibility, and a creative atmosphere.

But even then, I didn’t guess. I paid attention.
I listened to what people were saying in local groups, at networking events and in other coworking spaces (yes, I did frequent a lot of similar spaces so I could snoop and figure out my vibe). Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and gather feedback, allowing your ideas to evolve and for you to learn. Seek out those nuggets of insight that shape your idea to appeal to your audience and market.

For me the insight was that Nook and Huddle needed to be more than just a desk to hire.

Every current member of Nook and Huddle has a workspace at home already, whether it be a dedicated office or otherwise - it’s not a desk they were after. People are social beings and can’t be locked away at home working all of the time. They need the office chatter, the sense of belonging to a community and the excuse to get out the house in the morning. But conversely being at home is convenient and comfortable. So, I knew I had to overcome that conundrum. What would make someone get out of the PJs and their comfy spot at home on a day where the weather was horrid and still choose to come to Nook and Huddle as their preferred space. Sometimes it comes down to the smaller details, such as screens. Not many coworking spaces offer desks with screens as standard, yet for many working without a screen is immensely annoying and makes them stay at home where their screens are set up just how they like them. Little insights from your audience such as this can make or break your venture so it’s worth doing your audience and market research upfront.

I then went on to map out my target area to a 5-mile radius around Malmesbury and quickly realised there was currently no direct competition within a 10-mile radius.

And that’s where I focused. Hyper-local, highly relevant driven by insight; home workers and small business owners looking for focus and productivity coupled with community.

2️⃣ Don’t Dismiss Traditional Media

We’re so trained to think “digital first”, social, SEO, blogs, ads, that we forget old-school marketing still works.

Sometimes better.

My most effective marketing tool so far? Leaflets.

Printed, folded, hand-delivered leaflets.

Within one hour of my first drop, I had three new sign-ups all from addresses I had just delivered to.

It’s simple, cost-effective, and direct. And in a world where inboxes are overloaded and newsfeeds are noisy, a well-designed piece of print through your letterbox can feel disruptive in all the right ways.

3️⃣ Blend Channels Like a Pro

The magic isn’t in choosing digital or traditional — it’s about using the right mix of both, based on what your audience actually responds to.

For Nook and Huddle, that mix includes:

• Local leaflet drops and ads in local community magazines
• Community Facebook group posts
• Instagram content for wider reach
• Good old-fashioned word of mouth – network and get out there!
• And an email list I actively grow through trials, events and offers

4️⃣ Respect the Inbox

Here’s the thing: email marketing still works. But only when it’s permission-based and value-led.

I don’t scrape lists or send anything spammy.

I only email people who’ve signed up because they’re actually interested and then I send them:

• Offers
• Free trials
• Event updates
• And genuinely useful content

The result?
My average open rate is 60% which is almost unheard of across most industries.

It’s not luck. It’s relevance.

In Summary: Keep It Simple, Keep It Smart

I didn’t overthink or overcomplicate.
I treated my own business like I would a client’s, with:
✔️ Strategy before action
✔️ Clear, relevant messaging
✔️ Thoughtful channel choices
✔️ And a big dose of empathy for the people I was trying to reach

So yes, I do practise what I preach.
And it turns out, it works.

Need help launching something new or bringing structure to something that’s already out there?
That’s exactly what I do.

📍 Strategy with substance.
🧠 No fluff. Just extra brain power.