Small Business

Building a Small Business Marketing Strategy

small business

The fundamental problem that is often faced Small Business owners are weak and the market penetration of less extent the marketing area. Therefore, to promote small businesses that have strong competitive advantage is to build a good marketing strategy and the right target. Marketing is an effort to set the strategy and the way that consumers want to spend money they have to use the product or service owned by a company, in this case small and medium enterprises. With a good marketing strategy position of small and medium enterprises become stronger and to be reckoned with in national economic activity that ultimately bring benefits to the business.

Marketing strategies relating to how to convince buyers / customers of the product will be sold. To be able to convince the buyer the seller must have confidence that the products sold are worth to buy. Because it is necessary to consider several aspects in determining marketing strategies to be adopted.

Defining Vision, Mission and Goals for Small Business

Building a marketing strategy a small business product should be started from the vision, mission and objectives are clear and the company will be directed anywhere. Vision, mission and purpose of starting from top level management and then decreased to the lowest level employee. Herein lies the importance of a leader in a business that is able to drive and able to give motivation to the executor. In the context of small business leaders are usually at the same time business owners. Vision, mission and objectives will help us determine what kind of marketing strategy will be applied. With clear objectives, marketing strategies adopted to be measured, whether the appropriate target markets, failure, need improvement and Iain, Iain

Analyzing the External Factors of Small Enterprises

Furthermore, after having a vision, mission and clear objectives, to consider some external factor or factors are engaged in a business environment. Mapping of these conditions will result in our competitors' strengths and weaknesses, as well as see which aspects that could be used as a competitive advantage. Policies and government regulations also need to be considered in developing marketing strategies. External factors have become important factors to consider in determining marketing strategies for many things outside of us will affect the marketing done.

Customer Understanding

Consumers or customers are the base or the target of our products, then consumers or customers to understand the important thing to do. Understanding of the consumer, the values that they profess, and value added largely what they would help companies in designing products and services required. To understand the customer needs to do marketing research. Marketing research is part of a marketing strategy by way of surveys or interviews with prospective customers about what their hopes and desires about the company, is one way of understanding the customer.

Determining the Target Market

Determining specific target market already is a marketing strategy that is not wrong to sell the product at the wrong people. One small problem is the difficulty to determine the market segment of the product, whether destined for the middle class, above, or for the lower middle. Small businesses since the beginning of business must decide which business is directed to the class. By determining the target market, firms can provide an added value that a differentiator compared to its rivals. Added value is what is called differentiation. With a strong differentiation, can become weapons in the face of competition.

Analyzing the Internal Factors of Small Enterprises

After the map has been obtained by external conditions, the next step is to think about the internal conditions of a business, what strategies will be undertaken to manage the company. This pattern of management of internal strategy, the marketing knowledge is often referred to as a strategy
4 P ie managing product, price, distribution channels and promotion (product, price, place of distrbution, promotion).

Offering Products in accordance with Customer Needs

One key to building a marketing strategy is to offer products that match customer needs. Matter how good the product being offered, if not in accordance with customer kebutuha will be rejected. The company's products can be divided into two parts, the main products and product support. The main product is the teaching and learning activities with all the process. Because instead of finished goods, the process of teaching and learning activities are the main products that involve emotions and feelings of students as consumers. Therefore, the main product is good to have created an enjoyable learning experience.

Companies must determine what products according to customer needs. Customer needs survey needs to be done so that the products provided in accordance with the choices they.

Product Pricing

After you decide what products to offer, the next is to determine how the price paid by consumers. Price becomes something quite sensitive to the customer, one to be considered in developing a marketing strategy is to determine the right price. The main principle in determining the price is necessary to calculate the overall cost. From there, just added to what percentage of profit to be obtained for the interests of developing and calculating how many years will have a turnover.

In terms of distribution, should also think about how the products that we make will reach the consumers. It must consider whether the products we sell directly or entrusted to the distributors and agents for spreading. What is important is how these products get to the hands of consumers.

Product Promotions

One important factor in marketing as the last of the 4P P is promotion. Promotion is a conscious effort to do the socialization, information, and notification to the public on a variety of information, which is usually about various products offered. Promotional activities involving various forms and variations that are very diverse. Stay how the managers perform a variety of creative promotions according to your needs and budget provided promotion. Making a good product packaging and attractive is one form of promotion that is good and effective.

The most traditional form of promotion is advertising. Advertising is the installation of the product information in various media and publications ranging from newspapers, magazines, tabloids, television and radio as well. Advertisement has effectively reach a broad audience, but in terms of costs do require a big budget. If it feels that the cost of advertising in mass media is big enough, can be tried out another form that is with brochures, leaflets and banners are also placed around the area where the customer is located. Thus, detailed information still can be obtained by our target consumer.

Another effective way is through word of mouth promotion (word of mouth) where one person to give explanations to others because they felt good to get the benefits of the products or services used. This campaign is very effective because people usually have more confidence to what was said by relatives or friends who have felt the first.

In the end, any promotional activity within the company can not run effectively if it is internally not pay attention to the quality factor of a company. With good product quality, added that wearing the communication, the company's activities could work well.