Coffee - the prelude to everything

Coffee - it means so much to so many people. For me, it's the start to my working day. Sure, mine only comes out of a vending machine in a plastic cup and has all the sole of a Westlife album, but without it my day simply could not begin.

To the French, a natural accompaniment to their morning croissant. To the Dutch, it's the other drug that you get in Coffee Shops. Where would ante natal groups congregate if it weren't for their local Starbucks? Seriously, have you seen how many buggies they can cram into a single store? My wife and son attend there on a weekly basis - they go there more than church, which is really not all that difficult given that we're Jewish.

What third date has ever ended with "Do you fancy coming in for a snog?" and how many meetings with clients have been set up with an invitation to buy that client a cup of coffee over which they might chat?

Coffee is so much more than a beverage. It's a euphemism, it's an excuse, it's a motivator, a crowd pleaser, a way of life. Even those sad people who tone it down to decaf still "use" coffee.

Ultimately, coffee is a tool, and what makes it unique is that almost no one uses this tool incorrectly. Think of every other tool at your disposal - have they always worked exactly the way you wanted them to 100% of the time? Of course not. Coffee isn't like that - whatever you need it to do, it will do it. It's the Harry Potter of business tools and yet it's so easily taken for granted.

Is the same true of your marketing effort? Do the people in your business just expect gifts and advertising and literature to magic themselves out of thin air and present themselves to your clients without a second thought?

Ask the majority of marketeers and they'll tell you that the answer is yes. They feel woefully under-appreciated and yet without their sterling effort, business may well ground to a halt.

However, armed with this vital piece of knowledge, companies still consider marketing budget to be the first thing they cut when times are tight. THIS IS WRONG! When times are tight, my customers are going to spend less - I get that, but they are going to spend, and they're going to make a real point of shopping around for the best deals. Now if your competitors are climbing the nearest bell tower and shouting about their deals more than you, where exactly do you think that customer is going to go?

And what about when times aren't tight any more? When the small time thinkers have closed their doors there'll be a massive pool of potential clients out there looking for someone to help them, and chances are they'll go to the people who market themselves properly.

You've cut the budgets. OK, we get that, but don't let that mean that you end up buying nothing. Just make sure that you align yourselves with a company that will help you buy wisely - and there's no prizes for guessing who that might be!

This week, my colleague Sophia wanted a mention. That was it.