LinkedIn’s latest B2B buyer trends analysis has landed, and predictably, it circles back to the platform’s bread and butter: advertising. As if the entire marketing universe revolves around paid media.

Don’t get me wrong, there are valuable observations in there, particularly around trust emerging as a critical metric in B2B marketing. But here’s where I take issue: suggesting that advertising is the primary vehicle for building trust is like trying to carry soup in a colander. Technically possible, but wildly inefficient.

Business development in founder-led companies is frequently blamed for feast-or-famine cycles, but the real chokehold is usually somewhere else: capacity, economics, delivery quality, or even a lack of team drive that masquerades as new-business woes.

When those fundamentals are off, no amount of clever outreach, funnels or LinkedIn posting will fix the problem – it just feeds more pressure into a system that’s already straining.

There are various types and sizes of businesses, but my favourite is the kind that prioritises fun, flexibility, and freedom.

As a business growth consultant, what a business does is less important to me than ensuring that founders, entrepreneurs, and growth developers have a plan that aligns their personal and professional ambitions.

Life is just too short to put one set of priorities before another!

Starting a business comes with a lot to consider. Your background and personality will naturally shape what you focus on first.

For me, creativity takes the lead — I’m instantly drawn to corporate identity, brainstorming logo concepts, colour schemes, and all the visual elements that bring a brand to life.

But here’s the truth: where you start doesn’t matter. Starting does!

According to a 2024 article in Marketing Week, ‘demand generation’ is a myth.

I was less than impressed with the article because I’d recently insisted on moving from a ‘Business Development’ title to that of ‘Demand Generation Director’ 🫣

Instead of fruitlessly aiming to impact demand, the article outlined that marketers and business owners should aim to be front of mind when target prospects are triggered to move ‘in-market’ due to their change of circumstances.

These triggers are also known as market entry points (MEPs).