Throughout 2025 we have been sharing practical insights, advice and work winning tips across marketing, business development (BD) and bids. This end of year guide brings all of those tips together in one place to give you clear, actionable inspiration as you plan for 2026. It is designed for owner managers who want to enter the new year with confidence, a focused plan and the right processes in place to win more work.
Get the basics right, start with clear objectives
A focused plan gives every decision purpose. Review your business plan for the next 3 to 5 years, identify the clients and sectors that matter the most, and set measurable objectives across marketing, BD and bids. This ensures that every hour of effort supports the outcomes your business wants to achieve. Read our article on why now is the right time to review your marketing and bid strategy.
Marketing and BD, where awareness becomes opportunity
Define your audience
Avoid broad, generic messaging. Tailor communications to the needs, goals and pressures of the people who influence purchasing decisions. This significantly improves engagement and return on investment.
Review and refresh your CRM and prospect data. Simple improvements, such as accurate names and job titles, immediately elevate the quality of your outreach. Consistent, personalised communication builds trust and strengthens recognition.
Tell your social value story
Social value or ESG are no longer a tick box exercise. It now forms part of many tender evaluations and procurement conversations. Capture the initiatives and impact your business has achieved and ensure this information is easy to access and share. Read our article on, building better business and communities through social value.
Align your marketing channels and be consistent
Review whether your website, email campaigns, social media and offline activity present a consistent message. Prospective clients should have the same impression wherever they find you. Poor alignment can weaken credibility.
Create achievable content schedules and maintain a visible presence through social media, blogs, newsletters and insights. This keeps your business front of mind. Read our article on the importance of structure and consistency in marketing.
Track your ROI and competitors
Use data to identify which channels generate enquiries, convert to meetings and ultimately lead to clients or contracts. Shift investment towards what genuinely works. Study your competitors, assess their messaging, positioning, pricing and presence. This helps you identify where your business can stand out and reveal gaps in the market you can own.
Understand your client journey
From first impression to signed contract, map every stage of the experience. To strengthen conversion, review how enquiries are handled, how opportunities are qualified and how prospects are nurtured.
Use LinkedIn more strategically
Regular posting from both your company page and team members builds authority. Connect with decision makers, engage in discussions in your sector and share content that demonstrates expertise. Read our article on what the LinkedIn 2025 algorithm update means for owner-managed businesses.
Make events work harder for you
Are you attending a mix of sector events, conferences and networking opportunities? Don’t miss the important follow up window. Plan your follow ups in advance and diarise time to reconnect within 48 hours, this can make all the difference.
Review PR opportunities
Many owner-managed businesses and SMEs owners view PR as something that is reserved for the bigger players. But in a competitive landscape, where credibility and visibility can be the difference between winning and losing a client and growing your business, PR is a powerful part of your marketing toolkit. Read our article on why PR deserves a place in your marketing strategy.
Build long term partnerships
Identify where your audience spends time, both online and in person. Form strategic relationships with complementary businesses, sector bodies or networks.
Track who refers you work, review which relationships deliver the best results and prioritise nurturing these connections. A structured referral approach generates warm, high value opportunities. Read our article on tracking your referrals and introducers.
Communicate through stories
Rather than describing features, explain how your services solve problems. Use real examples and case studies to demonstrate impact and credibility. Make sure you use these across all channels to maximise reach. Read our article on why great content should never be a one-hit wonder.
Prioritise genuine relationship building
People buy from people they trust, and this is not just your sales and BD team. Review the sales cycle, invest time in understanding challenges and keep communication personal. Read our article on business development isn’t just for BD teams.
Showcase testimonials and case studies
Social proof is powerful. Build a bank of testimonials and case studies that highlight outcomes, measurable results and sector expertise. Make them easy to find and use in proposals and bids. Read our article on why client testimonials and case studies are powerful work-winning tools.
Bids, strategies to improve your success rate
Establish clear criteria for new bid opportunities
Define the contract value, location, service type and sector that meet your goals. This filters out time wasting opportunities that drain resource. Read our article on how to create your bid / no bid process.
Deconstruct every question
Break down every document, identify requirements and create a plan that captures all deliverables. A detailed analysis at the start of the bid process prevents mistakes later. Read our article are you really answering the question in a bid?
Start strong with a kick off meeting
Bring the right people together quickly, set expectations, and allocate responsibilities. Early alignment improves the quality of the final submission. Read our article on managing key stakeholders and subject matter experts.
Align win themes with client priorities
Demonstrate that you understand what matters most, whether that is price, communication, environmental performance or innovation. Make your value obvious and compelling. Engage in early market engagement sessions where possible, as these sessions can set the tone for how tenders are structured and awarded. Read our article on making the most of early market engagement in a bid process.
If you do just one thing
Our advice is to take time to review your performance, identify what has worked and strengthen the processes that support sustainable growth. Strong foundations in marketing, BD and bids will give your business a competitive advantage in the year ahead.
If you would like support in reviewing your marketing, BD or bid strategies, speak to a member of the team.