Navigating Competitive Markets

In countries where trust takes longer to build (as is the case of most Asian markets), the most effective approach I’ve found is to bring real business to the table without expecting anything in return. If someone seems valuable, introduce them to a client, a partner, or an investor. Don’t ask for a favor or a cut. Just deliver. If they choose to reciprocate, that’s a green flag. If they don’t, that’s fine too because the point isn’t immediate return. It’s accelerating trust. All other forms of relationship-building, e.g., dinners, drinks, small talk, are way less valuable in comparison to this. Nothing builds goodwill like showing you can make people money while operating with integrity.

Imagine losing out on innovation and growth because of this. Inequality in business isn’t just unfair - it’s holding us all back right now. Did you know women perform 76% of unpaid domestic care work globally? That’s time and energy that could fuel careers, businesses, or innovation. Meanwhile, female-owned businesses receive just 1% of corporate procurement spending, and women-led startups get less than 2% of venture capital funding. Inequality like this doesn’t just hurt women - it holds all of us back. Here are 7 truths about inequality that cost us all: 1/ Women-led startups receive less than 2% of venture capital funding. ↳ Diverse investment committees could unlock untapped markets and innovations. 2/ Only 8% of CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies are held by women. ↳ Gender-diverse leadership boosts financial performance, yet many companies miss out. 3/ Women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn globally. ↳ Pay equity could inject trillions into the global economy and boost productivity. 4/ There are 342 million male entrepreneurs globally, compared to 252 million female entrepreneurs. ↳ Supporting more women to start businesses drives innovation and strengthens economies. 5/ Female entrepreneurs only pay themselves 60-70% of what male entrepreneurs earn. ↳ Confidence and financial literacy programmes could help women value their contributions properly. 6/ 91% of women with children spend at least one hour daily on housework, compared to 30% of men. ↳ More balanced caregiving responsibilities would free up untapped talent. 7/ Women-owned businesses receive only 1% of corporate procurement spending. ↳ For me, this is the most shocking. Companies must prioritise diversity in their supplier networks. This isn’t about calling out men - it’s about working together as equal partners. After all, wouldn’t you want your mum, sister, or daughter to have the same opportunities as everyone else? When women thrive, businesses, families, and communities thrive too. 👇 What’s one action we can all take now to close these gaps faster? ♻️ Share this post with your network to raise awareness and inspire action. 🔔 Follow me, Jen Blandos, for daily insights on business, entrepreneurship, and workplace well-being.

In navigating the vibrant yet challenging landscape of India's market, a glaring truth emerges – trust is a rare commodity. The journey towards establishing a connection with the audience here involves more than just showcasing your brand; it demands building a fortress of trust around it. Why? Because in a market marked by skepticism, the essence of branding transcends mere recognition. It's about crafting a narrative of reliability and assurance, making your customers feel secure in investing in you. It's a delicate dance of authenticity and value, where every move is a step towards earning that elusive trust. This journey isn't easy, but it's worth every effort. Because branding isn't just about visibility. It's about building a bridge of trust that convinces your users that they are not just spending but investing in something worthwhile. That's the power of effective branding in India's trust-deficit market – transforming skepticism into partnership, and transactions into relationships. Your users need evidence, and assurance that you are genuine, reliable, and credible. They need to know that you are not here to scam, cheat, or disappoint them. They need to know that you are here to serve them, help them, and delight them. So, if you're trying to grow your business in India, one of your biggest challenges is to make people feel like they can trust you. This is where the magic of branding comes into play. Think of branding not just as a logo or a catchy slogan, but as a story you're telling the world about your business. It's like when you meet someone for the first time and you share stories about yourself to help them get to know you better. Branding is how your company makes friends with people. It shows them that you're trustworthy, that you stand by what you sell, and that they can feel secure when they decide to give you their hard-earned money. But how do you build this trust? It starts with being honest about what you're selling, showing that you care about your customers, and always delivering on your promises. If you say your product can do something, make sure it really can. If you promise to solve a problem, solve it. Every time you keep a promise, you're building trust brick by brick. Trust is about creating a lasting relationship where they come back to you again and again because they believe in your brand. It's like becoming best friends with someone; it doesn't happen overnight, but once it does, it's a bond that's hard to break. Branding is a lot more than just colors or logos. It's about telling a story that connects with people on a personal level, making them feel confident, and safe when they choose to spend their money with you. It's about turning curious onlookers into loyal customers who believe in your brand just as much as you do. That's the real power of branding in a place like India, where trust is hard to come by but priceless once you've earned it. #Branding #BuildingTrust #BusinessInIndia

Female founders are being held back by a lack of finance, a new report has found, amid renewed calls for more equitable investment into entrepreneurship. Nearly two-fifths (39%) of female small business owners say poor access to finance is preventing scale-up plans according to a report by Small Business Britain, in partnership with Square and Clearpay. Nearly 60% say take out no external finance at all, with 79% using personal funds instead and 13% even resorting to using credit cards. The difficulty is especially acute amongst ethnic minority female founders where there is a big gap in access to finance. 88% of these founders started their business with their own funds, with many reporting that finance is both hard to come by and often not seen as a viable option. The research – which consulted more than 1,000 female entrepreneurs – revealed that a desire for greater independence is the biggest driver for women starting their own businesses, cited as the primary reason by 60% of women. But many lack access to the right resources to attract investors, with as many as half of the women surveyed reporting that they did not understand enough about equity investment and almost half expressing suspicion over the idea of an investor owning part of their company. The report proposes a series of early-stage interventions to boost gender inclusion and entrepreneurial success – including creating more accessible funding, producing targeted financial skills training, as well as mentoring and advice for female founders. https://buff.ly/3TtvrUY #grants #grantfunding #eufunding #eicfunding #femalefounders #womenintech #womeninbusiness #funding #fundraising #investment #femaleinvestors #venturecapital #vc #venturecapital #angelinvestors #startups #innovation #diversity #inclusion #diversityandinclusion #healthtech #femtech #digitalhealth #biotech #medtech

Community banks are vital to local economies. At Infusion, our mission is simple... help them compete and grow sustainably. Here's how we do that: I saw this firsthand as CMO at Hancock Whitney. We grew from $24B to $32B in assets - and what struck me most wasn’t the numbers, but how local lending decisions transformed entire communities. Community banks operate under constant pressure. In recent cycles, many banks under $10B have faced net interest margin compression of roughly 10-20 bps year over year. Compliance costs continue to climb, consuming budgets that once funded growth. And fintech competitors set expectations for “instant everything.” Boards keep asking: What exactly is marketing delivering? Too often, CMOs struggle to connect the dots. They report impressions and click-through rates while CEOs demand deposits, loans, and new households. Here’s the missed opportunity: community banks already hold a powerful advantage. They allocate about 12.6% of assets to small business loans, compared to just 3.6% at megabanks. In high-poverty counties, they provide more than 75% of SBA lending. That’s the difference between knowing your borrower’s kids’ names and treating them like an account number. This trust is generational - but most banks haven’t turned it into measurable growth. Marketing gets treated as a cost center. Agencies collect retainers regardless of results. That’s why I l joined Infusion Marketing. We flipped the model. We only get paid when banks see measurable outcomes. No deposit growth, no invoice. We share the risk - so banks capture the reward. In a recent engagement with an $8B community bank, this approach drove nearly $500M in new low-cost deposits within 6 months. Their cost of funds improved by 87 bps versus benchmark. And they did it without rate wars - just by connecting marketing directly to balance-sheet outcomes. This isn’t magic. It’s accountability. The latest Community Bank Sentiment Index registered 126 in Q2 2025 - well above neutral and among the strongest readings since the index began. Leaders are optimistic. They’re ready to compete. They just need partners who share their risk and prove their value. Community banks are more than financial institutions. They’re the heartbeat of Main Street. When they thrive, communities thrive. If you’re leading a community bank and believe marketing should drive measurable balance-sheet results, reach out to us. Let’s prove that community banks don’t just survive. They lead.

Mindset shift for anyone trying to Differentiate their Agency: Look outwards, not inwards. It’s natural to look at yourself when you want to find your unique difference. But there’s so little to work with. Think about it: Services? Every agency has similar services People? Every agency has good people Customer service? Every agency (says) they do that too Looking inside for the point of difference is limiting and often a huge waste of time. Instead look outwards. Think clients first: 1. Client Industry There are very few untapped industries left to go after - the Blue Oceans have dried up. It’s still a good way to go though. Clients want specialists - especially when budgets are tight. You will always have an advantage niching into an industry over being broad. The key is which industry… Choose growing industries: → Renewable Energy → FinTech → AI 2. Client Problem If you don’t want to box into an industry, think problem. Become the Go-To expert in solving one particular problem. You get all the benefits of being a specialist and are still able to work across industries. Problems in desperate need of solutions right now: → Attracting Gen Z customers → Gaining funding from investors → Differentiation from crowded categories (Point 2 is the easiest way to go if you want to remain industry agnostic) 3. Client Mission There are a lot of agencies out there working with ‘Mission-driven’ brands… This is a good start. But why not be more specific? Define the mission you want to support: → Sustainable brands → Brands supporting local communities → Brands spreading education → Brands distributing wealth → Brands helping create equal opportunity If you’re passionate about a mission, why not back the brands that are on that mission? This doesn’t mean working with NGOs and non-profits exclusively either… There are plenty of brands out there on impactful missions. What is your agency’s point of difference?

B2B marketing is in a weird, transitional phase You feel it. Budgets are down to 7.7% of revenue while nearly 60% of teams are being asked to do more with less. The old playbook of fragmented campaigns (webinars, paid ads, emails) is delivering painful, diminishing returns. Here’s what’s happening: Your buyers have tuned out traditional marketing. Data shows 73% of decision makers now find an organization’s thought leadership a more trustworthy way to assess its capabilities. They are actively seeking proof of expertise. The most effective growth strategy today is building a systematic, executive-led content engine. I recently spoke with a founder who had a prospect show up to a sales call ready to sign a $15K per month deal. The call was a formality. The prospect already knew how he thought because they’d consumed hours of his content. The most reliable B2B growth engine is powered by a simple, foundational principle that most leaders now overlook: consistently demonstrating executive expertise builds the trust that makes selling nearly effortless.

Not so long ago, walking into a big retail store in Zimbabwe felt like stepping into an organized, predictable world. Shelves were stocked, brands were competing for attention, and customers had options. Today? Many of those same retail giants are downsizing or closing, and even the strongest are struggling to keep up. Meanwhile, informal traders who were once seen as “secondary players”—are thriving. What happened? Is this entirely about inflation or currency instability? Or it’s about a shift in consumer behavior, trust, and perceived value—things many retailers failed to see coming. If you’re in retail whether running a big store, an SME, or even an online shop you’re the protagonist of this story. And like every great character, you're facing a challenge that requires adaptation. Your customers are spending less, inflation is unpredictable, and imported goods are expensive. Meanwhile, informal vendors and social media resellers are offering lower prices, building stronger relationships with customers, and outpacing traditional retail. The old ways aren’t working anymore. The brands and retailers that will survive this crisis aren’t necessarily the biggest. They’re the ones that understand what customers need right now: ✅ Convenience over prestige – People are buying from where it's easiest, not necessarily the most established brands. ✅ Affordability over loyalty – If another seller offers the same product cheaper, your loyal customers will switch. ✅ Trust over marketing – Consumers trust individuals more than corporate brands. That’s why many prefer informal traders. If you want to ride this wave instead of sinking, consider these shifts: 🔹 Go where your customers are – If they’re shopping on WhatsApp or Facebook, build your presence there. 🔹 Adopt multi-currency pricing – Stability is key for both you and your customers. 🔹 Shift to need-based inventory – Essentials and affordable alternatives will move faster than luxury items. 🔹 Build relationships, not just transactions – People buy from those they trust. Build that trust online and offline. 🔹 Think like a small business, even if you’re big – Flexibility, direct customer engagement, and agility win in tough times. The businesses that refuse to evolve will struggle. Ask yourself: ❓ Am I where my customers are spending? ❓ Am I offering value beyond just products? ❓ Is my pricing model helping or hurting my sales? Many retail brands once thought they were “too big to fail.” Now, their empty stores and liquidation sales tell a different story. Refusing to adapt means losing relevance, losing customers, and eventually losing business. Retail is not dead. It’s just changing. The brands that will dominate the future aren’t the ones with the most floor space, but the ones with the smartest strategy. #RetailTransformation #ZimbabweEconomy #ConsumerTrends #Ecommerce #SmallBusinessGrowth #RetailCrisis #DigitalBusiness

Customer experience is the key differentiator for agencies and brokerages. Insurance products are already a commodity, and AI is only going to push that further. What’s left, and what can’t be commoditized is the level of service you provide to your customers. The ability to offer proactive, personalized advice. To show up when it matters. To actually understand your client’s situation and help them make better decisions. That’s what has set the best insurance agencies apart in the past, and will be even more true in the years ahead as technology continues to do more of the job. The ones investing in their customer experience now, not just with talk but with systems, time, and team focus, will be the ones that win long term.

Just having more women CEOs is not enough. If they don’t get access to opportunities and funding like their male counterparts. Studies show that men often start businesses with nearly double the capital of their female counterparts and only a fraction of small business loans go to women-led businesses. Challenges like societal expectations, limited access to financial services and restricted financial independence hold back many women from accessing what they need. This is what can be done to bridge this gap: —> Building financial confidence through workshops can help make independent financial decisions. Many loan programs for women come with support through mentorship, helping women not only secure funding but also succeed in their businesses. —> When household responsibilities are shared fairly, women have more flexibility to focus on their careers or businesses. This allows them to try adventures beyond societal expectations, ask for what they need and follow their dreams freely. —> Banks with streamlined processes, financial products and services can become helpful resources for women entrepreneurs. Microfinance and community development programs offer collateral-free loans, making it easier for women to access funding without additional assets. Every business needs capital to grow and nothing should stop women from accessing the funding they deserve. We need to build a space where financial literacy is given enough importance and women have access to funding and support systems to bridge the barriers and build what they want. In what other ways do you think we can support women entrepreneurs? #womenentrepreneurship #financialliteracy