• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jul 5, 2022
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

Home / Sales and Marketing / Marketing Plans / Majority of Small Business Owners Say They Lack Marketing Skills
Majority of Small Business Owners Say They Lack Marketing Skills

Majority of Small Business Owners Say They Lack Marketing Skills

3289 Views

Jun 30, 2015 By Elaine Fogel

A recent University of Phoenix study of small business owners across the US “enjoy what they do and are glad they did it, even with the challenges that go along.” (Erik Sherman, Inc.com) And, there’s more good news.

 
More than two-thirds (67%) of owners are primarily motivated by being their own boss while 42% say having more flexible work schedules motivated them. Other motivations include taking pride in something they created (41%), going after greater financial success (41%), and taking on a new challenge (34%).
 
37% say they enjoy owning a business and 35% say they feel personal satisfaction.
 
Yet, admittedly, small business owners say they lack some important skills.
 
The majority (28%) say they lack marketing/advertising skills while 25% lack legal issues skills. Other skills they lack include sales (22%), creating a business plan (22%), managing finances (20%), and using social media (19%).
 
Related Article: The Marketing Plan: Essential Elements
 
In general, they say their biggest challenges are:
 
  • Attracting and retaining clients (38%)
  • Remaining financially solvent (32%)
  • Expanding the business (22%)
  • Working with difficult customers (18%)
  • Differentiating themselves from the competition (16%)
 
Here’s some advice from my new book, Beyond Your Logo – 7 Brand Ideas That Matter Most for Small Business Success (being launched this fall).
 
Learn What You Can
 
Learn as much as you can about marketing and branding on your own. Even after the business can afford internal or outsourced specialists, some basic knowledge is valuable for small business owners and managers.
 
Classes, Seminars, and Webinars
 
A good start is to take classes and/or seminars. Many local community colleges and universities offer a variety of small business marketing and branding courses. Some require in-person participation, while others are available online.
 
Government Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations
 
Check for government agencies and nonprofit organizations that assist small businesses with dedicated microsites, business development centers, classes, or one-to-one consultations or coaching. Start with your city, state, province, or federal government website.
 
This article was originally published by Elaine Fogel

Filed Under: Marketing Plans Tagged With: Elaine Fogel, Marketing, Overcoming Obstacles

Elaine Fogel

Elaine Fogel

Elaine Fogel is a marketing, branding, and customer experience evangelist, professional speaker, and author of Beyond Your Logo: 7 Brand Ideas That Matter Most For Small Business Success. People in 100+ countries regularly read her blog, Totally Uncorked on Marketing and her articles have appeared in many publications.

Related Posts

  • WSJ Author Barry Gabster on Making a Million-Dollar Identity
  • 3 Offline Ways You Can Promote Your Small Business
  • 5 Great Ways Contractors Can Promote Their Business

Primary Sidebar

Random

How Temperature Monitoring Helps Improve the Supply Chain for Healthcare Startups

Jul 5, 2022 By Vikas Agrawal

Communication is Key: Interview With Jason Girdner and Scarlet Mick of TECOBI

Jul 5, 2022 By SmallBizClub

5 Ways PayPal Can Help Your Business Grow

Jul 5, 2022 By Kelly Reed

11 Employee Benefits Millennials and Gen Z Value Most

Jul 4, 2022 By SmallBizClub

freelancers-are-the-new-entrepreneurs-for-services

5 Benefits to Using Freelancers for Your Small Business

Jul 1, 2022 By Lending Tree

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy