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sma l l -bus i ness ma r ke t
F
rom the mom-and-pop sundries shop
to the regional chain of family-owned
grocery stores, small businesses are a
creative marketing goldmine. Encouraging
consumers to patronize local establishments
is not only the trend nowadays, it’s also
perceived as good for community morale.
In an interview with
Entrepreneur
magazine, Andy Miller, chief innovation
architect for Constant Contact, gave some
good reasons for pursuing clients in the
small-business market. First, the segment
is growing—65 percent of net new jobs
generated in the past 20 years have come
from small businesses.
Second, these types of businesses
overwhelmingly embrace solutions that will
help them grow; even so-called mom-and-
pop stores are embracing technology, Miller
says. Finally, building client relationships in
the small-business sector creates a bridge to
consumer and enterprise markets.
“You may be able to find the market most
in need of your idea by going to your local
town center and walking into one of those
small establishments,” he says.
How big is a ‘small’ business? It depends
on the business, according to the U.S. Small
Business Administration. While the retail trade
sector lists maximum small-business employee
numbers between 100 and 200, employees of
manufacturing businesses can be as few as
500, or as many as 1,500 employees.The small
business designation also often depends on
revenue; agricultural businesses that report a
maximumof $750,000 in average annual receipts
are considered “small” by SBA standards.
Operating as a small business in the era
of big-box stores and international brands
is a challenge, which makes smart, effective
marketing all the more crucial. A smart
campaign includes promotional products
that are relevant to the business, useful to the
audience, affordable for the client, reflective
of the company’s personality and, once
selected, distributed to the right audience.
by
Jen Alexander
Open For
Business
Small-business clients present big
promotional opportunities
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