Economic Slowdown Good News for Small Businesses Claims UK Business Expert

Royal Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, May 30, 2008 --(PR.com)-- While accountants Deloitte & Touche claim “The world may be on the brink of the "worst economic downturn" since World War II”, local management and marketing consultant, Stefan Drew, is predicting that it could be a good year for many local businesses. It’s a question of understanding the psychology of people as we enter the economic downturn he claims.

“Understandably many business owners are looking to cut costs at present,” says Stefan Drew, “but this is the wrong thing to do. Now is the time to spend money on training and marketing.”

He continued, “Business owners are reading headlines claiming doom and gloom on a daily basis and, understandably, their natural reaction is to tighten their belts and prepare for the worse. But if the majority of businesses are cutting back on training and marketing then logically the few who train their staff and market their products and services effectively will grow their market share, and profit.

Small businesses in the UK are well placed to grab market share from big business claims Drew and his success, over the last 20 years, in helping businesses grow evidences his claims. One business grew over 1400% in the four years he headed their marketing and others have shown grown rapidly.

“The UK has many small and medium sized businesses which are well placed to expand” Drew continued. “Small businesses have an advantage in that decisions can be made quickly. The effect is that training and marketing plans can be implemented rapidly and the results seen in weeks. Larger businesses have long decision making processes and are quite likely to suffer the downturn.”

Drew, who recommends the use of hundreds of free marketing strategies and methods continued, “Business owners need to make the conscious decision to become great at marketing and training but they need to do it now. It isn’t as expensive as they might believe and those that invest in training and marketing will thrive during any downturn or recession.”

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Further details from Stefan Drew FIBC MICIM on 07904 897 929 or via Stefandrew@gmail.com
Notes to Editors

1. Stefan Drew, who is based in Marton Warwickshire, is a Fellow of the Institute of Business Consultants and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management.

He is also a member of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce where he is a Council Member and their SME Ambassador.

2. Having advised businesses on both sides of the Atlantic Stefan’s work has been published in over 50 countries and he has subscribers to his regular Marketing Newsletter in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa.

3. Stefan’s clients range from sole traders and SMEs to corporates and include household names in the public and private sector.

4. Stefan recommends businesses use the hundreds of free and low cost marketing methods available to businesses of all sizes; these include free advertising, Google Maps, search engines, free directories, subscription newsletters and SEO etc.

5. Previously Head of Press, Publicity and Marketing at the Contributions Agency Stefan directed marketing for a number of large colleges before setting opening Stefan Drew Associates in 2005. Despite spending little on marketing the business has grown rapidly year on year; a fact Stefan puts down to implementing his own advice.