Access to markets is no myth for small businesses
Published by www.businessessentials.co.za on August 2, 2016
My family and I visited the 27 Boxes in Melville, Johannesburg, recently, and although the concept is really great, I was saddened by the lack of traffic through the doors. It was so quiet, that I could literally count the number of patrons on one hand. “It's very hard,” said a shop assistant, “Many tenants have moved out and the customers just don't come any more. It is very quiet, and we don't seem to market well.” The atmosphere was subdued, despite some lovely shops with really amazing products; a few of which we sampled.
It got me thinking – how hard it is to be an entrepreneur in South Africa, if you have a unique and brilliant product or service, but no one knows about you, then you will struggle to leave the starting block. Marketing, by definition is, making your product or services known, and in all my years in the entrepreneurial space, I have noted that this is one of the reasons contributing to why small businesses fail. How many times have I stumbled across a brilliant product and thought how well this could do nationally and internationally, yet few are exposed to it. How many of our exceptional South African products or services die a slow death before becoming successful, or remain forever in the ‘unknown' category. What a tragedy!
Access to markets is so important. Let's face it – what is the point of having a great product or service, if no one knows about it. You are not trying to keep a secret here, you need to spread the word; engage your customers and drive your sales. Social media is a low cost and efficient way of attracting new markets. Look for unconventional ways of marketing- even the way you market can differentiate you from your competitors.
Hope is not lost though. Whatever you face as a small business owner or entrepreneur, you are not alone. Make sure your marketing strategy is well thought out, creative, speaks to your vision and is measurable – it needs to translate into impact. The next best step is to get yourself a business mentor, who you can give you another perspective on increasing your access to markets.
