Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Linda Fanaras, CEO of Millennium Agency, located in Manchester, NH, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Millennium Agency is a top woman-led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm that creates value that builds emotionally impactful brands that influence the customer's buying decision, giving businesses a competitive advantage. As a B2B industry partner with pharma/biotech, technology, and manufacturing companies, our proprietary research-based framework makes a strong impact and accelerates brand growth.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Linda A. Fanaras, I am the CEO/Strategist of Millennium Agency, which is a nationally recognized, award-winning branding and strategic marketing firm in Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire. With a 25-year record of accomplishment in creating inspiring brands, impactful messaging, and strong marketing execution, we take the guesswork out of increasing brand awareness, lead generation, and marketing results.

I am experienced in brand analysis and structure, positioning and messaging that motivates, and the development of integrated digital marketing campaigns. Formerly at RealWorld Corporation (currently Microsoft®), I have managed multi-million-dollar budgets and complex digital marketing plans, and I enjoy managing and executing successful, concept-driven digital marketing campaigns that drive results.

I am dedicated to the latest advancements in marketing, holding a Board position on the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) New England Governor's Council and membership in the AAAA Diamond Forum, which serves as a national collaboration team to develop the best practices for agencies. Also certified with the WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) and as a WOSB (Women Owned Small Business), I was honored with Top-Women Led Businesses, SBA Women Owned Business of the Year, Outstanding Women in Business Award, and NH's Top 200 Most Influential Business Leaders.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

One of my greatest accomplishments as a business owner is the positive impact I have made on emerging marketers in the industry and how I have had the opportunity to become a mentor. Maintaining a successful business and navigating economic fluctuations to not only better Millennium Agency but our clients and employees are as important as ever. Having the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with our employees who are interested in learning about marketing, branding, messaging, strategy, and lead generation is something I am passionate about. I enjoy educating, mentoring and helping individuals better themselves as true marketers.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The pandemic generated supply chain issues, telemedicine activities, more technology and eCommerce, remote workplace, and changes in our daily life, and now there is a new initiative with a better work-life balance, which did not exist as much before. It seems like more people are becoming introverts turning to games, zoom meetings, and indoor activities. With 2022 behind us, the focus should be on maintaining consistency throughout 2023. There are many changes in interest rates, housing sales, the stock market, and the overall global economy. Businesses should keep their head down and not get too wrapped in the "street talk." Staying focused on their goals, whether they are business, operational, financial, or marketing, can help you overcome the big barriers and challenges in any economic change.

From a marketing perspective, regardless of a recession or not, businesses need to keep their marketing going. Many falls into the trap of cutting marketing expenses, but that only results in short-term net profits. However, eventually, it causes them to lose market awareness and share, decreasing demand for their products and services. This is one area of business that is often overlooked. So, if businesses are thinking about cutting their marketing, make sure you stay focused on keeping initiatives that keep your name out there, even if they end up being low-cost advertising and digital marketing efforts.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Harness your customer loyalty - Having loyal customers is an incredible advantage when rebranding because you have a dedicated pool of customers to glean feedback from to determine what aspects of your brand they like and which aspects they do not like. Direct customer feedback is one of the best ways to inform your rebranding efforts, as you get firsthand accounts of your customers' experiences, which you can use to ensure you are staying relevant amongst your current customers.
  2. Polish your product/service launches - Touching back on the importance of customer loyalty, if you already have a loyal audience base, then your product launches are typically already far easier to navigate than they were in the early years of your brand. When rebranding, you want to make sure you are building upon your current strengths while also adapting and adding new details or strategies. The stronger your product launch strategy, the more successful your brand will be. A rebrand should keep the aspects that work well while still optimizing them enough to avoid having stale launch strategies. If the rebrand misses the mark or lacks consistency, you are going to lose customer loyalty, which in turn, gives you more work during future product launches. Refreshing your brand makes it easier to launch and sell new products.
  3. Examine the competition and consult the data - The goal in examining your competition is not to replicate their strategies but rather "one-up" them and rebrand in a way that still leaves you coming out on top. You can learn a lot from your competitors, but the real value lies in what you do with that information. Having a clear understanding of what your peers and competitors are doing will help you better position your brand. Data analytics can be used in many ways when rebranding, particularly when it comes to optimizing the customer experience, as noted above. However, the data can also be used for so much more. Data analytics helps you see the bigger picture of your brand and how it is doing. You can see where your brand currently exists and where it is heading and establish a roadmap of what you need to do to reach your rebranding goals. Integrating the information you learned through data analytics also boosts the reliability of future data for subsequent rebrands. The data is there, but it is how you utilize it that makes a difference.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mill.agency/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillAgency/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mill.agency/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/millagency/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindafanaras/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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