BusinessWarriors  South Africa
 

South Africa's Leading Online Business Owner Community

We've been answering your tough questions since 2004

Survey: Small Business Branding and Marketing

I set up this simple survey in conjunction with Michael Cowen of Context Branding. (My marketing background is as a marketing guerilla, first with direct mailing, and then email marketing. Michael is an expert on branding, and his analysis of the results is in a PDF at the end of the report.

How true are the following statements in your business?

Michael has some views on these results, but my concern is that so many of us either have a low self-image of our businesses, or simply don't know.

Peter Drucker, the last century's leading business thinker said "A business exists to create clients."

In order to do that we need to at least have a better than even chance of converting the folk we meet (professionally) into those clients. That's very difficult if we don't think we're getting it right.

What is the primary means of your brand communication?

I guess there is nothing wrong with word of mouth since so many of us swear by it, but to me it has always seemed a bit of a copout. How do we inspire our clients to talk about us? How do we know that what they're telling their mates is what we would want them to?

My concern is that most of us have little clear idea of where we're going with our marketing, and that sure shows in the dreadful mortality statistics for small business.

How many full time employees are there in your business?

This number was deeply skewed with one respondent having more than 30,000 employees in other locations.

 

 

 

 

Michael Cowen offers a much more insightful analysis than my cursory overview, and his is well worth reading. You will find 10 pages of pure gold here.

 

This survey was conducted between in March 2009.  The sample of 382 respondents came from the PetesWeekly and Business Warriors communities, per an emailed request.

Pring And Conditions for Business Warriors

BW has been of great help to me in my business, being able to see what so many other BWs do and how they solve their problems has been of great advantage.


verneyh1@telkomsa.net has been a Warrior since May 2005 and can be found at www.placeofsmoke.co.ls


I have been using the advice of Business Warriors for the passed 10 years.

Helped with business decisions. Always good to know there is friendly advice out there.


Dave Roberts has been a Warrior since March 2004


I wish I had read Cash Proof ten years ago. I would be a lot less stressed and a good deal wealthier. Never the less I am inspired by your comments and writing. Keep up the good work.

 


Graeme Keshwar has been a Warrior since October 2009 and can be found at www.pkvending.co.za


I have followed Pete and his many pieces of wisdom over many years.

As a non-warrior ( they were not in existence then)

As a warrior 

As a non warrior and now as a warrior again.

Logic simply tells me that a bunch of like-minded individuals can achieve so much more than being a "lone fighter".


William has been a Warrior since May 2009 and can be found at gardietech@mweb.co.za