BizzBuzz: Heard the Buzz?

MatchFit Media’s Biz Buzz on business life in Brighton

This month marks the debut of Biz Buzz, our business show on Latest TV, in which we take a look at business in the Brighton area.
In the first edition, we feature the Sussex Business Awards, the Sussex Food and Drink Awards and a leading financial advisory firm heavily engaged in Sussex cricket star Michael Yardy’s testimonial year.

It is a fine way to start the series. These three features cover much of what is great about business in Brighton and Sussex; the entrepreneurs, the thriving hospitality industry which caters for millions of tourists every year, and the generous nature of many successful businesses in the area.
At PR company MatchFit Media, we understand all too well the challenges involved in starting a business. We are in our first year as a PR agency, after Laura and I clocked decades of experience in PR, publishing, journalism and writing in house for companies

We launched MatchFit Media in early August 2014, focusing on the technology sector, but also taking on clients in the hospitality, food and environment, tourism and entertainment sectors. Our experience in getting our business off the ground has allowed us to understand the challenges faced by all new businesses – how to sell products and services; how to price what you do; how to control costs; when to take on more staff; how to apportion time, among other considerations.
We have been round the block a few times – Ollie started as a Fleet Street reporter in the days before computers and mobile phones! – and can see how technology has generated opportunities but also made business life more complex.

In business, how much time should you devote to writing content for social media channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn in the hope it will pave the way to more sales? Need you spend a lot of money on Google Adwords or on Facebook advertising? Should you invest a great deal of time and effort in networking?
The last question is a particularly interesting one. The Brighton area is fortunate to be served by a number of excellent business organisations and networking clubs. They are all well run and work hard on behalf of their members. However, they may not be the right forum for finding the right clients for your business.
Ultimately, businesses only succeed if they understand and find their market, getting the balance of sales endeavour, PR and revenue-generating work right, to land and retain good clients. We will continue to tell you about business success stories in the Brighton & Hove area.
Ollie Wilson and Laura King are Partners at MatchFit Media matchfitmedia.co.uk, 01273 321555, hello@matchfitmedia.co.uk