Supermarkets aren’t usually in the habit of reporting sales drops without a fight, but that’s what’s been happening recently. Reports suggest that some people are buying less food, linked to a shift in health behaviour and medical treatment.
It’s not the kind of story I usually write about – but it caught my attention because it shows how external change can hit even the most established business models.
And if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.
What this means for professional services
Let’s take legal services as an example. It’s not too far-fetched to imagine a future where conveyancing requires much less solicitor involvement. The technology already exists to streamline the process. All that’s really holding it back is regulation and public confidence.
So the lesson here is not about predicting the next piece of legislation or public trend. It’s about recognising that some changes are outside your control – but still crucial to your business.
Start with analysis – it’s not just a box to tick
That’s why, in the Fedora 8-stage marketing plan, the very first stage is analysis – both internal and external. It sets the foundations for everything else.
One model that helps here is PEST:
- Political – changes to laws, tax policy, regulation, or public funding
- Economic – inflation, interest rates, consumer confidence
- Social – public behaviour, generational shifts, trends in how we live
- Technological – automation, AI, digital tools
A second useful model is SWOT – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – which combines internal and external thinking in one snapshot.
You don’t need to fill out a full textbook version. Just a quick brainstorm across these areas can spark ideas, identify potential risks and prepare a more grounded, forward-thinking plan.
Tools to help you get started
If it’s been a while since you last worked on your marketing plan – or if you’ve never put one together in a structured way – I’ve created two tools to help:
- Fedora marketing plan – key stages: an 8-step template to guide your thinking
- Marketing plan mind map : a visual summary to help you plot ideas
Both are available to download by clicking above