Linda Hailey
Small Business Marketing Expert
Linda Hailey is a business consultant, marketing expert and author who believes it's time we took the mystery and stress out of marketing and strategic planning for small business. She is well known for her practical approach and her ability to relate to the small business market.
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Linda Hailey is one of Australia’s foremost small business experts, widely recognised for her ability to make marketing, customer service, and strategic planning accessible, practical, and effective for business owners. With a career spanning over four decades, Linda combines hands-on experience in advertising, radio, retail marketing, consulting, and media to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive.
Linda began her career with a press advertising cadetship at Myer Melbourne, before transitioning into radio in Western Australia. In 1980, she moved to Sydney and joined radio station 2WS, where she spent eight years as Creative Director and Marketing Manager. She then worked as a Retail Marketing Manager overseeing 150 retailers in a major shopping centre, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges small business owners face when marketing their products or services.
In 1990, Linda launched her own consultancy, pioneering simple diagnostic exercises that could be applied to any business. Over the years, she has worked with a diverse client base, including home-based businesses, service providers, retailers, health professionals, wholesalers, franchise operations, hi-tech companies, printers, graphic designers, and even a funeral director. Her consultancy work extends into regional Australia, where she has supported communities facing challenges such as drought, industry closures, or disruptive infrastructure projects, helping them identify opportunities to grow local businesses.
Linda’s dynamic presentation style is both practical and motivational. She tailors each presentation to her audience, delivering actionable insights drawn from years of consulting experience, including topics such as e-marketing, client service, branding, image, and growth strategies.
Linda is the author of Kickstart Marketing – The No-Nonsense System for Boosting Your Small Business (Allen & Unwin, 2001) and Your Business Your Future – How to Predict and Harness Growth (2006). She has appeared on Channel 7’s Kochie’s Business Builders as a resident small business expert and has worked with companies such as Dell and Officeworks to provide expert advice through articles, seminars, and online content. In 2012, she extended her expertise online, developing and presenting a 13-week webinar program on small business marketing skills for the University of Sydney, School of Optometry, reaching graduate optometrists worldwide.
Through her consulting, speaking, writing, and media work, Linda Hailey has become a trusted voice for small business owners, empowering them to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve measurable results.
Topics
Each keynote presentation is tailored to suit the skill level of the audience and address any key issues faced by business owners in your particular industry or small business category.
The tailoring may involve using industry specific anecdotes, adding specific topics or adapting material to be more relevant to the group. Prior to a presentation it is usual for Linda to consult with the conference organisers, industry committees or individual business operators who are representative of the group attending the presentation. New presentations can be commissioned for a particular industry or conference theme. Each of the following presentations can be delivered as short keynote addresses (45 minutes – 1 hour) or longer (1.5 – 2 hour) workshops.
Winning the Marketing War
Advertising and generic strategies are no longer enough to increase revenue and profit in an increasingly competitive marketplace. This practical presentation takes the mystery out of marketing and shares the secrets of successful businesses that thrive and not just survive.
Tricks of the Trade for Retail
Retailers face a specific set of issues when it comes to marketing. Road works, bad weather and the economic climate can all have a sudden impact on your trading. Learn simple strategies that can be used for attracting and keeping customers to boost your bottom line.
Catching and Keeping Customers
Customer Service can be the secret to cost effectively growing your business. This practical presentation looks at the financial value of customer service and shows participants how to wow their customers and boost their revenue.
E Marketing and Social Media Unplugged
This practical presentation takes a whole of business approach and shows you how you can harness the e revolution to promote your business, manage your network and add a “wow” to your customer service. This workshop is designed for anyone who wants to give their business an e boost.
Business Branding – Make Your Mark
Until recently it was assumed that small businesses had an image but only multinational corporations could afford the advertising to create and maintain a brand. We now know that this is not true. Every small business has a brand whether they like it or not!
The Growth Vision
Successful business owners often need the challenge of increasing revenue from a particular market segment or finding totally new markets. Discover how to create your vision, review your current situation and develop a gap analysis that will become your action plan for achieving your goals.
Your Business Your Future
When a small business starts to act unpredictably business owners often assume it is all their fault. This presentation will help you identify where you are, what’s likely to happen and how to cope with the challenges ahead.
Maximising the Female Factor for Business Success
Women who want their businesses to thrive will need to capitalise on the strengths that women bring to the business arena. Learn the secrets of successful women in this lighthearted look at how you can use girl power to get ahead.
