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sparcgap insights
thinking that helps you move forward.
practical perspectives on leadership, growth, and marketing. for people who are too busy to waste time on content that doesn't land.
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Building real local trust in an era of digital noise
Talk to any business owner in Central Otago for long enough and you’ll hear the same story: costs that won’t sit still, stretched staff, careful customers, and a to-do list that follows you home. We’re getting better at talking about mental health. We’re less good at looking at the daily habits that quietly add to the load, and one of the biggest is social media. Most of us complain about it. It’s exhausting, it’s negative, and it eats our evenings. Then we log on anyway, bec
Vicki McLean
Oct 213 min read
Community is not a place
What a couple of weeks in Peru taught me about service, gratitude and the people we keep close.
Vicki McLean
Oct 84 min read
No, what's your real business purpose?
Ask a business owner why they're in business and you'll get an answer in about three seconds. Ask again and it takes longer. Ask a third time and something honest usually falls out. That's the exercise. Three versions of the same question: Why am I here? Why am I really here? Why am I really, really here? The first answer is the elevator pitch. The second is the reason. The third is the truth, and the third one is the one that runs your business, whether you've said it out lo
Vicki McLean
Sep 93 min read
Known, or unknown?
A few thoughts on cities, small towns, and the strange business of building your own brand.
Vicki McLean
Aug 263 min read
Is your business eating away at your life?
Business runs in cycles. Every founder knows it in theory, the boom, the plateau, the squeeze, the pivot. What nobody tells you is that the cycle doesn't wait for you to be ready, and it doesn't care how hard you're working. Right now plenty of good businesses are watching their numbers decline and their proposals stall. That's the backdrop. So I want to show you what's actually possible against it, not the theory of it, the real version. These are things the businesses I wor
Vicki McLean
Jul 292 min read
6 reasons why your business should market online
Here in Central Otago, where the scenery is breathtaking and the community is tight-knit, running a business can be both incredibly rewarding and challenging. Whether you’re a bike shop owner in Clyde, a boutique shopkeeper in Cromwell, or a winery operator in Alexandra, one thing is clear: digital marketing is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Let’s dive into why embracing digital marketing can be a game-changer for your local business. 1. Reach beyond the Main Street G
Vicki McLean
Jul 292 min read
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