|
Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 351
 |
| Thought for the week: "The sooner you fall behind, the more time you will have to catch up." Stenderup's Law |
|
In this week's issue:
Most popular small business marketing tactics
At the end of 2009, EnterQuest carried out a survey of small and micro business owners with the aim of identifying the most popular and least popular marketing methods used by small firms.
Survey participants were trading in a wide range of sectors such as retailing, consultancy and training, finance, tourism, health and complementary therapy, arts, manufacturing, building services and IT.
The survey asked respondents to provide information about ten different types of marketing methods they used regularly, used occasionally or had never used at all.
Headline results are as follows:
There was no standout winner in terms of the marketing method most frequently used across all business sectors, but the results did reveal patterns indicating that small business owners are generally proactive marketers, they experiment and try different tactics, and they analyse and monitor the methods that produce the best results for their own particular market.
Top five tactics used on a regular basis
1. Face-to-face networking (72%)
2. Online networks (52%)
3. E-mail marketing (50%)
4. Ads in sector directories (47%)
5. Direct mailings (44%)
Top five tactics never used
1. Ads in local press (63.7%)
2. Social media (39%)
3. Yellow Pages ads (53%)
4. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising (53%)
5. Ads in sector trade magazines (48.8%)
There's no argument that the Internet has dramatically changed the landscape of marketing and business communication in the last ten years. But while the use of online professional networks such as LinkedIn and e-mail marketing tactics have grown, it's significant to note that face-to-face networking emerged as the most popular marketing method.
Survey results in brief
-
73% of respondents engage in face-to-face networking.
-
Over half use professional online networks.
-
Almost two-thirds don't use social media as a marketing tool.
-
Only 15% of respondents regularly use social media for business purposes.
-
Over half don't advertise their services in any media.
 |
The UK Small Business Marketing Bible contains hundreds more tips and tactics for boosting your sales using proven marketing strategies that work no matter what product or service you sell. |
EnterQuest's latest subscriber survey - the national Business Link website
EnterQuest is seeking subscribers' views and opinions about the national Business Link website. The Business Link site costs about £35 million a year to maintain, and a Business Link press release claims it saves businesses £157m in cost savings, and that businesses "attributed sales of £360m and increased profits of £54m to using the information and guidance on the website".
Click here to take the survey.
Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
-
Niche cookbook store allows customers to cook before they buy. 25 degree Celsius is a niche book shop with a difference. It sells nothing but cookbooks, and there is a kitchen on-site so customers can sample recipes from the books before they buy them.
-
Design-your-own shoe store for women. Shoes of Prey is an online design-your-own store specialising in women's shoes. There is a range of fabrics, trims and heel heights available. It also sells gift certificates to use on the site.
Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.
Do you know the meaning of the word 'exemplify'?
a) increase, grow
b) demonstrate, illustrate by example
c) astonish, surprise
d) blame, hold responsible
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
The following topical business issues have been recently reported in the media. Did your radar pick them up?
1) A code of practice came into force last week in a bid to offer more protection to small-scale suppliers who supply to big businesses. What is its title?
a) Groceries Supply Code of Practice
b) Clothing and Footwear Code of Practice
c) Artisan Goods Code of Practice
d) Supply of Handmade Furniture Code of Practice
2) According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retailers have had their worst January in 15 years. Analysts have speculated this could be due to the poor weather, but sales of which products have been boosted as a result of the cold weather?
a) food
b) clothing
c) footwear
d) toys
3) The Government has this week introduced grant funding for up to 1,000 small firms to improve their security measures. Which sector of business is the funding targeted at?
a) manufacturing
b) digital and IT
c) retail
d) catering
Answers at the end of the Bulletin.
E-mail alternative to blog sites
Posterous is a tool you can use to blog without signing up to a specific blogging platform such as Blogger or Wordpress. simply post whatever you want - content, videos, pictures or images - using your e-mail account, then Posterous will turn whatever you send into a website. The service is free.
Tool that makes reading web pages easier
This Readability tool helps to cut out the irrelevant content on a website, allowing you to focus on the content you wanted in the first place. So if you want to read a news story, it will filter out all other content, leaving you with just that story. It's free to download and works with FireFox, Safari and Google Chrome. Follow the instructions on the page to download the tool.
Test your site usability with free tool
The FiveSecondTest is a free tool that tests your website's usability. It works by using external users who evaluate your site depending on what you want them to look at. You can ask them to remember specific elements of a design, or click on certain features of the site. The basic service is free.
Tips on setting up Facebook fan and group pages
If you're thinking of setting up a group or fan page on Facebook in order to promote your product or service, take a look at this article which outlines the differences between group and fan pages, and the benefits of each.
You can get access to hundreds more online business tools, how-to articles, checklists, standard forms and business development resources by subscribing to the Better Business Adviser.
Win an I.R.I.S. package worth over £200
EnterQuest has teamed up with mobile office products manufacturer I.R.I.S. to offer readers the chance to win a package containing IRISnotes 1.0 and IRIScan 2 Express worth over £200.
The IRISnotes 1.0 converts scribbled notes and diagrams into editable text on your PC, while the IRIScan converts paper documents such as invoices and receipts into editable and searchable text files.
To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, just answer the following question:
Q: The British Retail Consortium has been keeping records since which year?
a) 1990
b) 1995
E-mail your answer, together with your name, address and daytime phone number, using 'I.R.I.S. competition' in the subject line, to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.
All entries must be received by 31 March. Full competition rules are available on request.
Seth Godin's latest offering explores the concept of becoming indispensable through leadership. It looks at why some people's roles can easily be outsourced and why others are not. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is b).
Exemplify means demonstrate, illustrate by example.
The entrepreneur's excellent sales figures exemplify his marketing effort over the last year. |
How's your business radar? The answers
1) The answer is a) - The Groceries Supply Code of Practice has come into force as of the beginning of February. It aims to protect small suppliers when dealing with some of the biggest grocery retailers in the UK.
2) The answer is a) - Consumers rushed to stockpile on food in the first few days of the year, but then failed to return to the shops when the snow and icy conditions worsened. The BRC says the resultant fall in sales overall is the steepest since January 1995, when the BRC began to record the data.
3) The answer is c) - The Government's security funding for small firms is aimed at retailers. The funding will provide grants to 1,000 small retailers to help them improve their security measures. It can be used to buy CCTV, anti-graffiti paint and UV markers. |
Visit www.enterprisequest.com to access all back issues of the EnterQuest bulletin. If you have any feedback or suggestions for us to make this service more relevant please e-mail your comments to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.
If you wish to discontinue your subscription to EnterQuest please click on the 'SafeUnsubscribe' link at the bottom of the bulletin.
Remember that we guarantee never to sell or give your e-mail address to anyone else.
Good luck
The EnterQuest Team
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate. |
