5 Small Business Management Questions to Help Choose Marketing Programs

As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a quest for success. To an extent, when we focus on success in one area we forego attention elsewhere. Limited money and time mean we must choose from seemingly endless -- and often conflicting -- advice and recommendations from marketing service providers; management and marketing consultants; and internal experts. This creates a dilemma. How do you choose which recommendations to embrace and which to pass by?

Consultants, marketing service providers, and/or other departments within your company will eagerly give advice from their viewpoints. You will hear the benefits of focusing on "___" (fill in the blank with appropriate specialty). This is not a bad thing; it is their job to sell you on the advantages of their specialties. It is your job to probe for the downsides and tradeoffs.

Different Perspectives

Back in my brand management days, it was sometimes frustrating when individual departments could not grasp The Big Picture. The graphics department and the outside ad agency wanted to focus strictly on graphical elements when other aspects of a campaign were just as critical. Manufacturing was worried about throughput and efficiency, never mind what the customer wanted. Each department was doing what it could to optimize its own function, but this did not always work in The Big Picture. A catch 22 of small business management is if all functions are "optimized," it could be to the detriment of the business. When resources are spread too thin and timelines expand, implementation suffers.

In the online world the same Big Picture problems occur. Each specialist knows much about her or his own specialty, but often little about how it affects other areas. Most of the advice makes perfect sense. Toss in a dose of reality, however, and you may stretch your resources too thin if you simultaneously try for perfection in all areas.

The Big Picture

When reality hits, you find it is simply impossible to optimize all areas of your business. The obligations associated with small business management do not allow you to stop ongoing activities while trying to obtain detailed perfection. God may be in the details, but profit is in the implementation. As small business manager or "chief cook and bottle washer," it is your job to make it work by bundling the advice into a profitable implementation package.

Once you accept that some areas are going to be initially less than perfect (providing you with opportunities to improve over time), the challenge is to figure out what makes sense for your business and site. When is it critical to optimize and when is less than perfect acceptable? When considering advice from a marketing consultant or other expert, ask yourself these five questions:

1) Does it solve a problem? One of the best ways to comprehend the importance of an action is to relate it to a problem. If you think strategically - first identifying your major problems, then designing solutions to solve those problems - your business is more likely to thrive.

2) What are my alternatives? There is always more than one solution to a problem. If you evaluate different approaches, you will ultimately make better decisions.

3) What are the downsides? Perfection and optimization are in the eyes of the beholder. What you see as a disadvantage may seem trivial to the specialists. Ask questions and do some research on your own to uncover the downsides.

4) Is it likely to be profitable for me? Larger companies can afford programs that smaller companies and individuals cannot. If you have to go into debt or dramatically reduce other critical activities to implement a program, your cost increases dramatically. In these cases, carefully weigh the resources required against the potential gain.

5) What happens if I do not do this? Some activities are "niceties" and some are necessities. Know the difference. If you are losing customers to other sites or businesses, for example, taking action is critical. Some activities - those you want to do but do not help solve a significant problem - can be pushed to the back burner.

Incorporating The Big Picture into your decision-making is critical. When you ask yourself these five questions, you are in a better position to make the right decision. Your small business depends on it.

About the Author

Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business, howmuchforspider.com/TOC.htm .

Copyright 2002, 2004 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.

---

Small Business And The Ability To Find Market Place Opportunities

Marketing is one of the four corner-posts of a solid... Read More

20 Great Ways to Market Your Business Locally

Whether your target audience is in your neighborhood or across... Read More

Making Your Product Desirable For Alliance Partners

How do you make sure you have the business solutions... Read More

How To Cut Expenses And Manage Your Business

If you own a small business, you should know that... Read More

Franchises: How to Find the Best Franchise Opportunity for You

If you are looking for a franchise opportunity, the choice... Read More

What Your Small Business Can Learn From The Doctor

Most doctors never distinguish the difference between customers and patients.... Read More

Cash Flow: Why Chaos Equals Poor Cash Flow

Recently one of my customers told me the chaos swirling... Read More

How to Curb Antique Shop Theft Inexpensively

If you have ever had your antique shop or mall... Read More

Are You Running Your Business or Is Your Business Running You?

Being a small or home-based business owner can be loads... Read More

Mattress Cleaning Business: How To Manual

A Mattress Cleaning Business might be just for you if... Read More

Conquering Confidence Killers for Small Business Success

"The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing... Read More

Power Tools for Business

How do we keep track of our business deals?If you... Read More

Dig Deep for Small Business Ideas Before You Start the Wrong Business

If you're serious about wanting to start a business, the... Read More

Measuring Your Way to Success

Are you a motivational speaker who consistently gets rave reviews... Read More

Auto Detailers and Competitive Aspects of Automobile Detailing

There are both fixed and mobile detailers. Consumers often will... Read More

Are You Making These Mistakes In Your Business?

You've probably heard the statistic that 95% of small businesses... Read More

Top 7 Small Business Tax Tips

Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to... Read More

Tips on Setting Up Your Small Business Bank Account

One of the first things you will need to set... Read More

Most Franchises Are Small Home Businesses

Many of our nations 400,000 franchisees run their businesses out... Read More

From Birth to Death

Your product is dying. With the same inevitability that we... Read More

Business Pain Defined

Every company has business pain, but the pain does not... Read More

Challenging the Gospel of Growth -- Must Business Grow to Survive?

A cherished business doctrine is that growth must be a... Read More

Finding the Right People for your Business

Where do you find the right people for a business... Read More

Grab Your Consumers Attention in a Cluttered World of Marketing Communications

A cluttered world of marketing communications diminishes the ordinary. The... Read More

The Power of Why: Your Psychological Ally To Marketing Success!

Here's why 'WHY' is such a profit-making marketing trigger."Stop taking... Read More

How to Give FREE Advice and Make Money

When is advice free and when should you charge for... Read More

Private Franchising is not Real a Real Franchise

One major issue not being addressed right now in the... Read More

ADH Will Make Your Life More Productive & Your Life More Profitable

What is a Virtual Assistant?? A Virtual Assistant is that... Read More

Top 10 Record Keeping Mistakes Business Owners Make (and How To Avoid Them)

If you interviewed business owners of failed businesses, a majority... Read More

The Game Plan ? The Difference Between Small Business Success And Failure

It is an American dream to own a business. But... Read More

Is Your Success Predetermined?

Your on-line success is based on your efforts and yours... Read More

Wichita KS; Anything is Possible in Wichita Business

Just when the entire state was kissing Wichita goodbye, economically... Read More

One Of The Best New Business Opportunities May Be Right In Your Home - A New Daycare Business

The day care industry is expanding. There are now more... Read More