Under Pandemic Pressure: Hayley Bohan Helps Clients Breathe Easier
SAINT JOHN – Businesses of every shape and size have been thrown for a loop by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first of a three-part series of conversations with local female entrepreneurs, we spoke with Hayley Bohan, founder of strategic marketing company Marketing on Purpose, about her struggles, pivots and adjustments during this unique time in the city’s history.
Tell us about your business
“I started Marketing on Purpose in November 2017; I come from the corporate world, so I had probably almost 20 years of marketing experience before I decided to venture out on my own.”
“I decided I was going to start my own business to help small businesses build a strategic foundation so that when they approach marketing it is more successful. I help them build brands and I help them build marketing plans so they know what to do, what to say, who to say it to – all of that fundamental stuff that when you’re rushing to make sales or build a team or just grow in general.
“Since I started, I probably worked with about 70 small businesses, mostly in this area and my focus is on building brands.”
Was it an adjustment pivoting to online? What are your future plans?
“For me, I was mostly online anyway, so that hasn’t been a big deal. The shift that I’ve seen is because I work with all small and local business owners, we’re kind of shifting what we’re doing. The first week that they get hit with the news that they’ve got to close their doors, it was panic.”
“My sessions revolve around what are we going to do, how much money do we have to maintain, how much of your customer base do you have to maintain; how are we going to do that, which is a shift because normally sessions are about growth plans. And now the shift is, ‘How are we going to survive this?’ It’s really remarkable to me to go from that low to this optimistic outlook of, ‘How do I keep growing and when this is over?’”
How are businesses coping and adapting?
“Some businesses can adapt quickly, changing delivery options. It’s more costly to deliver things than it is to have somebody come in your door but they’re able to adjust, some of them.”
“It’s those businesses that are more hands-on, like massage therapists, chiropractors, where it’s really hard to change that into something virtual because you’re actually touching somebody as part of your business.”
“Those type of businesses, I tell them it’s time to nurture your clients, build trust, make sure they’re okay, and fully focus on relationship marketing so that when this is over they’re going to come back.”
How do you think local, small businesses will restart and grow once restrictions lift?
“I’m hoping that small businesses are going to take the opportunity, if they have more time on their hands, to figure out more efficient ways to do things, to help improve their work-life balance by taking this time to add some automation or get rid of doing things that don’t serve them and doesn’t help them grow.”
“I’m also hoping that they’re spending this time building relationships, nurturing and taking advantage of social media, which is a free opportunity to connect with your clients so when they come out, they actually have more loyalty, than when they went into this.”
What are your thoughts on the business relief programs that the federal and provincial governments are offering for business owners and entrepreneurs?
“They have definitely been a relief to some of my clients. I remember when they first announced [one of the programs] I had one client who texted me and said, ‘I’m just watching Justin Trudeau and I’m crying right now.’ She was so relieved there was going to be help.”
“At first, people were just, ‘We don’t qualify for anything,’ and it’s terrifying to think you can go from working so hard to not having any income at all. There are a lot of question marks, but they’re working it out and I think the intent is good and I think people are starting to breathe a little easier.”