Partner Article

Helping businesses flourish: Tara Bilton from idg on frameworks for success

“I’ve been working in this industry for 18 years, and I really do believe that good plans and strategies can make all the difference in business, says Tara Bilton, head of marketing and communications at idg.

Now I’ve never been one for much planning, but Tara is quick to assure me that business planning can help push a business through difficult times.

idg specialise in organisational development, helping businesses to implement best practice frameworks, something Tara feels particularly strongly about.

“An informal and ad hoc approach where there is no clear drive or vision can work for a little while, but in terms of growth, structure is vital.

“By considering whether your future plans are robust enough to help your business move forward, it becomes easier to make steps to keep going.”

In the past few years, the challenges facing businesses have changed dramatically, meaning that Tara and her colleagues have had to alter the way then manage and engage with clients.

“For some businesses it has been about reactive measures – what they can do to survive these difficult economic times with weak consumer confidence,” says Tara. “We’re now starting to see a steadier recovery, and many businesses are now looking forward to what they want to achieve, and where they want to be in the market.”

“Competitive opportunities are now emerging so there is success to be had for businesses who know their environment, and have effective strategies in place to anticipate change and capitalise on opportunities.

As well as planning, Tara is keen to stress the importance of communication within a business – something that she feels is not always done often enough.

“I was at an event last summer, and I found it really interesting that within many businesses and HR department, there seemed to be a vacuum of information,” she explains. “Regardless of the message, its important that businesses speak to staff, as whether the news is good or bad, saying nothing can be the most damaging thing of all.”

“People aren’t daft, and if you don’t tell them, they will make it up for themselves.”

While Tara is committed to spreading the word about the frameworks idg uses, it’s the successful results of the planning mechanisms, which make Tara tick.

“I love meeting people, and I’m fortunate in my role that I get to work with a range of different organisations.

“It’s intensely rewarding when we work with a business to help them implement change using the best practice frameworks we offer, and then seeing it flourish.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .