Thank you to those of you who have been on this crazy ride with me. Whether you recently joined or if you've been around since the beginning, I appreciate you. Here's to a wildly successful 2026!

Running a small business can be exciting, rewarding, as well as surprisingly isolating. Most small business owners and solopreneurs don’t have built-in peers down the hall or a leadership team to trade ideas with. Every decision sits squarely on your shoulders.

That independence can be freeing, but it also creates a kind of professional vacuum that’s easy to overlook. Without someone to challenge your thinking or help you prioritize, you can end up spinning your wheels by spending all your time working in the business, not on it.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many business owners quietly experience this gap between doing the work and having someone to talk through the why and how behind it. That’s where regular advisory conversations, peer groups, or even scheduled reflection time can make a difference. Having a sounding board or someone objective and outside your day-to-day can help you see clearly, focus your energy, and move forward with confidence.

Running a successful small business shouldn’t always mean doing it alone. GoFish Communications works with small business owners, solopreneurs, and early-stage entrepreneurs to find clarity so you can move boldly toward your goals.

Each marketing channel offers unique deliverables and strategic advantages for drawing attention, generating awareness, and driving revenue. Depending on your specific goals, resources, and capabilities, one or several of these areas might be the right approach at any given time.

Not all marketing experts have deep knowledge of all marketing channels. Even big marketing agencies have specific departments with specialists. Given a large budget and extensive reach like Coca-Cola or Nike, nearly all these channels are leveraged. Small businesses or solo consultancies almost never have those kinds of options.

That's when it makes financial sense to allocate the right eggs into the most impactful baskets. Working from a framework can help you get started. This graphic illustrates some preliminary suggestions for small businesses and solo consultancies.  

If you don't have the capacity or resources to be consistent with your efforts, I want to help. Go Marketing is one way small business owners can lay the path toward success and growth. Let's connect to discuss the specific challenges that your small business, professional services consultancy, or startup.

Laurie Fish McDowell | Founder & Principal Consultant 

Brands are constantly vying for attention. Amid the noise, one of the most powerful tools a company can wield is visual brand consistency.

From logos and color schemes to fonts and imagery, a unified visual identity not only makes your brand instantly recognizable but also builds trust and credibility with your audience. Your visual brand plays a pivotal role in creating lasting impressions, fostering customer loyalty, and differentiating your business in a crowded and competitive marketplace.

Here’s why building visual brand consistency matters for your small business and why it shouldn’t be ignored:

•  Builds Brand Recognition   Consistent use of logos, colors, fonts, and imagery creates a cohesive brand identity and helps make it easier for customers to identify and remember your products or services. Over time, this consistency makes your brand instantly recognizable, increasing brand recall and strengthening your position in the market.
• Fosters Trust and Credibility  A visually consistent brand presents a polished and professional image. When customers see a brand that maintains uniformity across platforms, it signals reliability and builds trust, helping to convert potential buyers into loyal customers.
• Creates a Memorable Customer Experience  Visual consistency ensures that every interaction a customer has with your brand is seamless, from social media to your website. This uniform experience helps reinforce your message and values, making it easier for customers to form a lasting connection.
• Differentiates from Competitors  In competitive markets, visual consistency helps set your brand apart. By maintaining a unique and identifiable aesthetic, you avoid confusion and ensure that customers can easily distinguish your brand from getting lost amongst the competition.
• Supports Brand Storytelling  Visual elements like color, design, and imagery help convey your brand’s story and values. Consistency in these visuals reinforces the narrative you’re telling, making your messaging stronger and more impactful across all platforms.

Nisse Designs and GoFish Communications support your efforts in developing a professional and impactful brand identity. We work together with you and our trusted partners, to build a unique strategy for promoting your business across platforms. Our hands-on and very modular approach focuses on providing the solutions you need within your budget. Learn more about us and Go Marketing or set up a time to talk. We look forward to hearing from you!

Aimee Maescher | Partner, Nisse Designs

Client reviews are essential. Search and social algorithms, as well as humans, use them to validate your credibility. However, asking for reviews can be uncomfortable.

Here are five ways to ask for client reviews that, at the very least, minimize the awkwardness but certainly will increase the likelihood that your requests are well-received.

1. Choose the Right Moment
Timing is everything when asking for a review. The best time to ask is when the client has expressed satisfaction, such as after a successful project or when they’ve given positive feedback. If a client sends a thank-you email, respond with a simple request like, “I’m glad you’re pleased with the results. It would mean a lot to us if you would share your experience in a quick review.”

2. Make it Part of Your Process
Your request will seem more natural if a client expects to be asked for a review from the start of a project or the relationship. The beginning of a new relationship is a logical time to note that you will ask for feedback after each project. This allows your client time to think about how they might respond over a period of time and respond when they can.

3. Keep Things Simple
Clients are more likely to leave a review if it’s easy. Provide direct links to your business’s review platforms (Google, LinkedIn, Yelp, etc.) with a step-by-step of how to submit their review. You can even offer a few prompts to help guide their thoughts, such as: quality of service, experience with your team, or lasting results they’ve seen. The simpler you make it, the more likely they are to follow through.

4. Be Authentic
Avoid generic requests that feel transactional. Instead, choose to ask clients based on your relationship with them. Reference specific details about projects or outcomes you’ve achieved together. This shows that you value the relationship and is another way to make the request feel like a natural part of your ongoing communication. 

5. Always Express Gratitude
Regardless of whether the client agrees to leave a review, always thank them for their time and partnership. A sincere thank you reinforces the positive relationship you’ve built and leaves the door open for future collaboration or referrals. Even if they don’t leave a review now, they might do so in the future, or they may recommend you to others.

When to Ask for Help
Asking for client reviews doesn’t have to be awkward. With the right approach, you can turn the task into an opportunity to strengthen client relationships and boost your reputation. Managing client communication, however, can be challenging for small businesses with limited resources. This is where an outsourced marketing team can be invaluable. A dedicated marketing partner can craft personalized, timely requests for reviews and ensure your client feedback is effectively used across multiple channels. They can analyze review patterns, identify areas for improvement, and highlight your strengths in future marketing efforts.

GoFish Communications and Nisse Designs have joined forces to offer Go Marketing specifically to help you overcome small business marketing hurdles. Our hands-on and very modular approach focuses on providing the solutions you need within your budget. We’re on your team! Here’s how you can learn more or set up a time to talk. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Laurie Fish McDowell | Founder & Principal Consultant 

In the world of small business marketing, advertising options feel limited or even an unattainable and costly expense rather than an investment.

Many entrepreneurs shy away from budgeting for advertising, fearing the costs will squeeze and drain their limited financial resources. However, effective advertising doesn’t have to be expensive. By strategically allocating funds and leveraging cost-effective marketing techniques, small businesses can significantly increase their visibility and attract more customers.

Investing in advertising is crucial for growth, as it helps build brand awareness, establishes credibility, and drives sales. It’s important to remember that even a modest budget can yield impressive results when used wisely. Some examples of where you can get the best bang for your financial investment might include:

• Digital social media campaigns with a set budget built around highly specific keywords that are not as competitive as the more popular keywords you would naturally choose. With proper keyword research, you will have access to keyword search volume for all levels of competitiveness, allowing for highly targeted advertising for niche services.
• Local chamber and other networking groups often have advertising options for all budgets, whether sponsoring an event or meeting or having special placement on their websites.
• Consumers love freebies! If you’re a consumer/product based company, there are plenty of opportunities to promote your product with free or discounted offers. Both social media and grassroots efforts can be highly successful in introducing your brand to a larger audience.
• Social media engagement – from tagging and commenting to boosting a special offer or event, these and other strategies can further increase your reach.
• Have a good network and contact list? Engage with your existing and potential customers more frequently with a targeted email campaign that reminds contacts of your business and services. Email campaigns are also a great way to offer specials and other discounts.
• Local. Local. Local. Whether it’s a community Facebook group, an online town-based media outlet or hanging a branded banner at a school sports arena or field, there are plenty of opportunities to have more eyes on your advertising efforts for a wisely planned investment.

These are just some examples of how marketing assessment,  strategy and planning can set the stage for an effective ad campaign.

By engaging with marketing services targeted to small businesses, you will have answers to questions that are unique to your size. Our Go Marketing programs can help you develop plans to leverage local networking opportunities and target marketing and advertising channels that offer high returns on investment. With a strategic and focused approach, we’ll enable you to reach your ideal customer demographic without breaking the bank. A smart plan will put your business in front of potential customers actively searching for products or services you offer.

By being resourceful and prepared, you can maximize your advertising budget and achieve significant growth for your small business. Ready to get started? We’d love to hear from you!

​The most common small business marketing hurdle is budgeting time and money. Both come at a premium and marketing is so often sacrificed because of all you are juggling.

Getting the word out on your product or service, educating your audiences, and staying top of mind, however, is an absolute must if you want to build on your current success or even maintain what you currently have. Attrition is a natural part of being in any business. In other words, you should expect a certain amount of business to drop off for a variety of reasons over time. And for this reason, your business development strategy and marketing goals should always account for bringing in more business than you may currently need.

Marketing strategy and planning can look somewhat different depending on where you are in your growth journey and how seasoned your leaders are.

Small Business Marketing Hurdles if You’re Just Getting Started
Small start-ups often get stuck on where to start. All marketing feels essential - where should you focus your efforts? The fact is that each small business hurdle is unique depending on how nuanced your audience is, how complex your product or service is, and the level of competition you’re facing.

Getting your marketing started takes slowing down for a minute to get a few ducks in place. Ask yourself these fundamental questions to get the ball rolling.

• What is your reason for being in business - meaning what problem do you solve for your clients?
• What makes you special? It can be customization, quality, speed, niche, location…
• What resources do you have in your corner, such as network, equipment, and skill level?
• What are your top concerns or goals? Are you understaffed or overstaffed; are you having trouble getting the attention of your ideal audience; are you gun-shy because of your tight budget?

Small Business Marketing Hurdles if You’ve Been Around for a While
It seems to go without saying that a business established years ago has different marketing challenges than businesses just getting launched, but in reality, the same basic principles apply. You just need to look at your specific hurdle from a different angle. 

• Are you engaging the next generation of clients? Are you meeting them where they are looking for you (read: which social media and how does AI fit in)?
• How is your product or service relevant now vs. one, five, or even 40 years ago (like RadioShack)?
• Are your customers worried that you will somehow disappear? For example, what happens to your business if you retire?

Getting your biggest worries out of your 2AM thoughts and into your marketing tactics can help you figure out not only the first or next step, but it can also help set your trajectory for the future. That dot on the horizon makes it easier to see and execute on your next steps.

Partnering with a marketing planning and execution team can also help. GoFish Communications and Nisse Designs have joined forces to offer Go Marketing specifically to help you overcome your small business marketing hurdles. Our hands-on and very modular approach focuses on providing the solutions you need within the budget you have. We’re on your team! Here’s how you can learn more or set up a time to talk. We look forward to hearing from you.

​Running a small business is a juggling act, and marketing often feels like one more ball in the air. You know the importance of consistent marketing—it’s as essential as paying your water bill. But with only so many hours in the day, staying on top of everything can be a real challenge. That’s where Go Marketing comes in.

Go Marketing for Small Businesses is your solution for a reliable, budget-friendly marketing strategy. Nisse Designs and GoFish Communications have teamed up to offer small business-focused marketing services designed to fit seamlessly into your budget and provide the consistent marketing effort you need to thrive. Here’s how we help:

Go Marketing: Includes our Marketing Machine and Visual Branding Starter below plus the critical consultation and planning to take your business to the next level.

Visual Branding Starter: We’ll focus on creating and refining your brand, making sure it stands out and resonates with your target audience.

Marketing Machine Starter: Ramp up your social strategy with a solid newsletter and blog development/content designed to inform and drive traffic to your website and business.

Go Customized: Build an even stronger customer connection with additional marketing and creative services to ensure your business grows as it should. From coaching and marketing planning to custom materials and website analytics, we’re here to craft a meaningful and purposeful approach to accelerating your goals.

With Go Marketing, you can rest assured knowing your marketing efforts are in good hands. We do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on running your business. Let us help you stay visible, engaged, and at the forefront of your customers’ minds.

Ready to see how Go Marketing can transform your business? We’d love to hear from you.

Most employers hire a person to fill a specific need that they have identified within their firm.  Typically that person is trained how the last employee performed within that role, taught what the basic processes and resources are, then they are left to their own devices.  Good leaders provide frequent performance feedback and incentives such as quarterly reviews and bonuses or maybe even a few extravagant annual company outings, but more often than not that is where the formal support ends. 

Employees frequently develop ties with coworkers to help them better understand the context of their job or to gain perspective on office personalities.  Sometimes those relationships generate organic morale and you hear collaboration in the halls.  However, sometimes they can lead to misinterpretation of company goals or strategy, and occasionally it can negatively skew the company culture altogether.

Here is where intentional internal marketing comes into play.  Instead of one-off efforts such as bagels and casual Fridays, the random extra vacation day, or even a quarterly company meeting, what I am talking about is a thoughtful and comprehensive strategy to create team buy-in.  Investing in your employees’ belief in your leadership and your firm can set you apart.  Assuming you have a solid mission, clear values, and a relevant and effective business strategy, the best way to advance your success is to have a people around you who understand your goals, see your motivation, and appreciate how they fit into the pie.

How can you create a comprehensive internal marketing strategy?  I can’t emphasize this enough… communication is key.  Your strategy should not only include quarterly meetings and an open door policy for senior management, but also strong corporate structure with clear channels for employee growth, trust among leaders, consistency, and strong messaging on how each role within the firm is essential to the firm’s success.  At the end of the day, each employee must feel proud of where they work.

Plenty of companies make-due without purposely investing in their team, but peek behind the curtain and what do you see?  Disengaged hamsters running in their wheel, or worse expensive turnover, small profit margins, or nay-sayers spreading the virus of discontent…?

To me the investment is obvious – in today’s demanding and unpredictable business environment it is smart to build momentum from within.  Benefit from those smart hires and grow the intellectual talent you already have so that you can focus on everything else.