Sales & Marketing Resources

Start-ups are at a disadvantage when it comes to their first sales forecast because, clearly, they don’t have any historical data to base it on. But there are still ways to create an accurate sales forecast, and it’s important to do so because it’ll help you work out if your business idea is financially viable.

The ideal promotion plan is one that results in clear steps you can put into action immediately. This means concentrating on just the practical, promotional aspects that will lead to results. The good news is that you can do it yourself.

A competitive advantage is something that you offer or have that the competitor does not. There must be some compelling reasons for people to do business with you rather than with other businesses.
The need to identify your point of difference is important. The more similar your business is to many others, the greater your need to develop competitive advantages.

Long-standing customers form the backbone of a strong, well-established business. Make it your mission to ensure that the vast majority of your current customers stay with your business for many years to come.

If you want to grow your business, you’ll need a strategic plan – which should include how you’ll find new customers and get your products or services into new markets.
Here’s what you need to know to identify new customers and markets.

It’s easy to come up with a number of business ideas but to make sure your idea is viable and can be run at a profit, you’ll need to do quite a bit of market research. The good news is that doing your own market research is not as hard as it sounds. Here are five top ways to research your market.

As a small business owner, you’ll want to get positive returns on a limited marketing budget. It’s important to monitor the quantity and quality of advertising in order to be as effective as possible.

Choosing the best export target(s) for your business is critical because ‘getting it wrong’ can waste time, energy and money. This section provides ideas and information to help you understand the opportunities better and identify the best targets and marketplace.