How operational expertise builds your business

When it’s time to move offices, who in your team is responsible for finding a new space? When Christmas rolls around, who sends out client gifts? When business development has slowed and you’re strapped for time and resource, whose job is it to make sure that meetings keep getting booked?

Big companies may have designated staff members to point towards—office admin, secretaries, likely even an operations lead or team—but for smaller teams, the answer isn’t so simple. Many modest teams are left scrambling when these needs arise; and as anyone who has worked in a small team will know, they come up often.

So, where do these operations sit in a business with no operational arm?

When designing their dream team, the cash-strapped start up isn’t reaching for an operations lead before a Chief Marketing Officer. The budget favours growth, not maintenance.

But the oft-neglected fact about operations is just how quintessential they are to marketing—and marketing to them. And, when utilised thoughtfully, this interconnection of the two can become a key growth tactic that’s embedded into the very structure of your business.

How Marketing and Operations Work Together

Think of it as a spectrum. While some tasks may sit further on the marketing side (like sourcing networking events) and others on the operations side (like helping to manage budgets across the company), they all exist on the same plane. And, no matter where they lie on that plane, approaching them with a marketing eye will consistently lead to better commercial outcomes.

Take the task of sending out Christmas gift hampers to your business’ top clients. In some organisations, that may fall onto the To Do list of an office secretary; another item to check off in the holiday rush. Others may leave that to the sales team, who have long-nurtured a relationship with each client, and can leave a personalised note tucked into an otherwise generic wine and cheese hamper; a fine approach, but maybe not the most noteworthy.

But when left with the marketing team, whose day-to-day is comprised of putting forward the best possible face for your business, it becomes far more than an item on a To Do list—it’s an opportunity to connect with your customer, make them feel valued and tell them a story about your business. A quick task for any other team becomes a vital customer touchpoint in the hands of the marketing team.

It may seem over the top, but each of these details are what ultimately take your brand from passable to memorable.

Where Marketing and Operations Meet

Despite the clear link between the two areas, such responsibilities won’t typically fall under the remit of, say, a traditional marketing agency, or even a traditional marketing team. Just because there is a clear overlap between marketing and operations doesn’t necessarily mean that all marketing teams have the capacity to take on operations work.

Edward & James, however, was founded from a long background of both marketing and operational expertise. Often working closely with founders, Edward & James believes that filling these operational gaps in small and founder-led businesses is what sets our clients apart from others in their industries.

Where other businesses creep along, our clients are able to proactively have marketing expertise embedded into their business, alongside an operational framework that takes into account business growth and customer success. Roots in both areas allow for a clear view of how to maximise efficacy across both areas concurrently.

Ultimately, it comes down to an understanding of and commitment to growth done right.

This commitment allows Edward & James to not just help brands grow their visibility, but to build their business from the ground up. It’s a two-pronged approach to marketing that supports business development with a sharp marketing eye.

Most recently, this approach manifested in the introduction of Marketing Operations Support, Edward & James’ newest service offering. Marketing Operations Support covers these grey areas of business operations that require a careful marketing eye and a technical awareness to get done.