by Melanie Scott, chairman of the Kent branch of the Chartered Institute of Marketing

Spring is officially here and despite recent grim weather, evenings are drawing out, days are brighter and the sun will hopefully start to shine.

But it’s not just the weather that seems to be improving – so is the opportunity pipeline.

Don’t get me wrong – a greater pipeline of opportunity is good news; however, finding the resource to manage the increase and properly at that, is not without its challenges.

Increased pressure on personnel is a key issue and with most small businesses already paddling like mad under the water just to stay afloat the question is, how will the business as a whole, let alone the tormented sales and marketing teams, cope with any more work?

Well, one answer is to consider taking on a graduate or an apprentice. A graduate placement will not only provide you with additional capacity during these uncertain financial times – but it will also give you access to talented individuals, rigorously prepared for the work place and hungry for experience.

Kent County Council is looking to double the number of apprentices.

Employing one could cost as little as £60 a week with a grant or £100 without. With all the paperwork handled by the council the process is designed to be simple and to enable you to ultimately reap the rewards of having loyal, confident staff that can help steer the future success of your business.

However, for you, increasing the skills of an existing team member, so they can take on more, or diversify their role into sales, might prove a better investment. It’s worth visiting the Chartered Institute of Marketing website (www.cim.co.uk) to learn more about the breadth of marketing and new business-related courses on offer.

Visit the Chartered Institute of Marketing on stand 159 at Kent 2020 Vision Live (aprili 25) to find out more.