Need Marketing Help in Sussex? Here’s Where to Start.

If you’re running a business in Sussex - whether it’s a growing consultancy in Brighton, a B2B services firm in Crawley, or a manufacturer in Chichester - chances are marketing isn’t your only job. You’re balancing delivery, finance, and operations, and marketing often slips down the list.

But when growth stalls or leads dry up, the first question is: where do you actually start?

Over the last few years, I’ve worked with local founders and leadership teams who share the same story - plenty of marketing activity, but not enough direction.

Here’s how to get back on track when your marketing feels stuck.

1. Step Back and Look at the Whole Picture

The temptation is to dive into tactics - new website, more ads, social campaigns - but that’s rarely the answer.

Marketing is an ecosystem: your brand, team, tools, channels, and audience all need to connect.

Before spending another penny, review:

• What’s actually driving revenue?

• Which channels or messages perform best?

• Where are you wasting effort or budget?

That’s the foundation of my Fresh Start service - a structured reset that maps what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next.

2. Identify the Real Challenge

For many Sussex SMEs, marketing problems come down to three things:

• No clear strategy – activity without alignment to business goals.

• Wasted spend – overlapping tools, duplicated effort, poor reporting.

• Unclear accountability – no one owning performance or direction.

You don’t need more marketing; you need focused marketing.

Sometimes that’s a half-day review, other times it’s interim leadership support.

3. Bring in the Right Level of Support

Hiring a full-time senior marketer can be expensive - and unnecessary.

Instead, consider a fractional or part-time marketing director who can provide senior-level direction a few days per month.

This approach gives you strategic leadership, not just delivery, without adding headcount.

It’s ideal for businesses between £1m - £10m turnover that are ready to professionalise their marketing but not yet scale a full department.

4. Reset Your Budget and Priorities

It’s easy for costs to creep. According to Gartner’s 2024 CMO Survey, 76% of marketers say they struggle to prove ROI - often because spend isn’t clearly linked to outcomes.

A simple Smart Spend audit can help you see where every pound goes and redirect effort to high-value activity.

5. Find the Right Partner - Locally

Sussex has a thriving creative community - agencies, freelancers, and consultants across Brighton, Worthing, Horsham, and beyond.

When looking for marketing help:

• Choose someone who understands both local markets and national B2B dynamics.

• Ask for a strategic framework, not just deliverables.

• Look for someone who measures success in commercial terms, not clicks.

Marketing success isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing what matters most.

If your marketing feels scattered, or you’ve outgrown your current setup, a structured review can help you get clarity fast.

Based in West Sussex, I work with local and regional firms who need senior-level marketing direction without the full-time overhead.

Maybe I can help you?