How a ski season, a South West London community and a gap year led to a passion for small business marketing

We sat down with Lottie, one of the founders of CoLab Marketers, to talk about how she found her way into the world of marketing, why she’s passionate about helping small businesses and what advice she has for anyone feeling stuck when it comes to getting their brand out there.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to work in marketing?

Not at all! I actually planned to study criminology at Exeter, but during my gap year everything changed. I found myself.

Just kidding! I went on a ski season and realised pretty quickly that I preferred doing something hands-on rather than spending three years in lectures. I needed structure, and I wanted something practical.

After a bit of travelling, I moved to London and started working in sales for the same company I did my ski season with. It was a small, agile team and I absolutely loved it. Eventually I applied for a marketing assistant role there. The Head of Marketing took a bit of a punt on me, and I just threw myself into it, soaking up everything I could. That role was cut short during Covid, but it sparked something. I realised I loved this space. I didn’t have the traditional marketing background, but I did have real-world experience: I’d worked on the product, sold it, experienced it as a customer, and now I was marketing it. That perspective stuck with me.

Q: So why the focus on small businesses now?

Working in fast-paced B2B marketing since then has taught me a lot, especially how to solve problems quickly and juggle multiple projects. But I kept seeing my favourite local businesses struggle, especially through and after Covid. Places I loved were either disappearing or clearly scraping by, not because they weren’t brilliant, but because they didn’t have the support or budget that bigger brands do.

There’s this huge gap between what traditional agencies charge and what most small businesses can realistically afford. That’s the gap we want to fill. To provide structure, creativity, and strategy, but in a way that’s flexible, collaborative and accessible.

Q: How long have you lived in the area?

Since I moved to London, I’ve always been in and around south west London. But for the last few years, I’ve bounced around different corners of Tooting Bec.

Q: What do you love most about that area?

There’s a really strong sense of community. People look out for each other, and small businesses genuinely support one another. It doesn’t feel competitive, it feels collaborative (it inspired our name). That kind of environment is full of opportunity, not just for businesses to grow, but to lift each other up along the way.

Q: What advice would you give to someone struggling to market their business right now?

Start small and scale up. Don’t use that one rare free day a month to post loads of content all at once without a plan, then go silent again. It’s tempting, but it’s not sustainable. Instead, make a simple plan. Even just posting once a week is a great start. You can always build from there, but consistency is where you’ll see results.

Q: And what about someone looking to get into marketing, what should they know?

One thing you’ll hear time and time again is that marketers wear a lot of hats. Especially in smaller companies, you’ll find yourself doing a bit of everything: copywriting, campaign planning, maybe even dabbling in design or data. It’s exciting, and sometimes a bit exhausting.

But if you love problem solving, being creative and making a visible impact, especially for small businesses, then marketing is an incredibly rewarding path. It’s fast-moving, but never boring.

Q: And finally, what keeps you motivated in your work with small businesses?

Honestly, seeing the impact. When you help a small business improve their marketing, you’re not just tweaking metrics; you’re helping someone keep their dream alive, support their family or hire another team member. The wins feel personal, because they are. I find that incredibly motivating.

 

Want to work with someone who actually gets it, who’s been on both sides of the marketing table and knows what it’s like to juggle it all as a small business?

That’s exactly what CoLab is here for. Let’s chat.