Customer Service or Marketing Your Services?

Marketing when you are are short on time & resources

Small business owners often face an impossible choice: serve existing clients or find new ones. When you're stretched thin, both feel equally urgent - and equally impossible to ignore. This is the so-called feast-or-famine cycle that traps so many entrepreneurs.

You've got this brilliant idea, you're passionate about what you do, and you're ready to change the world. You get your first few clients. 

Your current client needs that project delivered yesterday. Your website needs updating. Your social media exists, but barely. Your networking is a pile of business cards gathering dust. Oh, and you haven't invoiced anyone this week because who has time for admin?

You've only got 24 hours in a day, and you need at least six of those for sleep, apparently.

New businesses face resource gaps in time, skills, and money that make this balancing act feel impossible. We’ve all been there. 

Feast or Famine: Operating on Fear

When you're starting out, every client feels like your lifeline. So when they call, you drop everything. This makes perfect sense – they're paying the bills, right? But sometimes you get so busy servicing your current customers that you struggle to make time to market for new ones.

Then, inevitably, that big project finishes. The retainer ends. Suddenly, you're staring at an empty calendar wondering where your next coffee money is coming from.

So how do you break this exhausting cycle? The key is building marketing momentum that doesn't depend on having spare time or extra energy.

A Consistent Approach

Start with what you can sustain. If you can realistically post on social media twice a week, don't plan for daily posts. If you can network once a month, don't book yourself into every business event in Brisbane. It's better to do less consistently than to burn out trying to do everything.

Time-block your marketing like your business depends on it (because it does). Put marketing time in your calendar like it's a client meeting. Tuesday mornings are for content creation. Friday afternoons are for follow-ups. Make it non-negotiable.

Focus on one marketing channel and nail it. Are you great at talking to people? Network like it's your job. Love writing? Start blogging or get active on LinkedIn. Prefer visuals? Instagram might be your playground. Don't try to be everywhere at once.

Automate what you can, delegate what you must. Even if it's just using scheduling tools for social media, every little bit of automation buys you back precious time.

Your Next Move

Start with one hour a week dedicated to marketing. Just one hour.

Use it to write one blog post, have one networking coffee, or create one piece of content that showcases your expertise, put together a strategy, or learn how to use a new tool.

When time and money are tight, making the decision to be strategic about where you spend both is crucial. Start small, stay consistent, and build momentum one thing at a time.

Alana from Muse Communications specialises in helping small businesses find their voice and tell their story. If you're stuck in the juggling act, drop her a line at alana@musecommunications.com.au – she gets it, and she's got your back. If you want more resources like this, check out MissCommunicate, which Alana and the Muse team have set-up for small and micro business with a stash of handy resources. Don't forget to use the code BNCC for extra discounts!