Sales & Marketing Resources

Coming up with new ideas for your business is essential for growth. And it’s exciting when you’ve got a new product or service to offer. But before you launch your new offering, it’s important to find out if there’ll be a demand for it. So you need to take some time to test the market and measure the response. You’ll then have a much better idea if you’re likely to succeed or not.

You probably already have a coordinated marketing plan, set prices, and know what you’re doing. However, to create more awareness and increase sales of your offerings, you may need to make some minor adjustments to your overall marketing strategy.

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.

Whichever industry your business is in, cultural differences can have a direct impact on your profitability. If you try to understand the cultures of your customers – their customs and differences – you’ll have a better chance of keeping them and gaining more.
By being aware of the key factors that will impact your business, you’ll set yourself up to maximize sales from a global melting pot of potential customers.

Advertising should be viewed as an investment that should generate a return, rather than a fixed cost. Many businesses spend money on the same kind of advertising each month without knowing what is working and what isn’t.
Effective advertising builds profile, generates new business, and retains your existing customers. Poorly thought out advertising can create miscommunication and even make you look less credible or trustworthy.

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.

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.

If you’re serious about getting the best value you can for your marketing budget, you’ll need to develop a marketing plan. Below we outline eight simple steps for making your marketing efforts more effective.

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.