Small Business Owners Optimistic About 2004

February 10, 2004

The third annual survey of small business owners indicates a majority are optimistic about 2004 (79.8 percent) and their business future. However, analysis of the results reveals that most small business owners are still working without a defined plan of action and have not defined goals, yet they spend time and energy investing in advertising and marketing activities.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) February 9, 2004 -- The third annual survey of small business owners indicates a majority are optimistic about 2004 (79.8 percent) and their business future. However, analysis of the results reveals that most small business owners are still working without a defined plan of action and have not defined goals, yet they spend time and energy investing in advertising and marketing activities.

"Through this annual survey of small business owners, I've discovered that most of them continue to make the same mistakes as their predecessors," says Denise O’Berry, President, The Small Business Edge Corp., a small business consulting firm located in Tampa, Florida. "Over 50 percent have no action plan, no goals, and no idea how to market their business, yet they expect an increase in revenue."

The good news is that most small business owners realize the value of having an "in-house" customer list (64.2 percent) and many have embraced email as an effective tool for their business. A whopping 92.5 percent use email to communicate with their customers compared to 53.4 percent who use regular mail.

"Unfortunately, because of the proliferation of unsolicited email on the internet, small business email messages may get lost in the crowd if they don’t find a way to leverage their 'in-house' list and use it to their advantage," says O’Berry.

Most revealing was that only 29.8 percent of these owners use the least time consuming and cost efficient method to market their business -- a public relations strategy. Instead, they are relying on traditional methods like direct mail and advertising to get the word out about their business. These methods are two of the most expensive if done incorrectly.

"Clearly, these small business owners need help," says O’Berry. "They deal with tough issues each and every day to maintain the independence they've worked so hard to achieve. And they don't have a lot of time to waste moving in the wrong direction."

The source of this news release is PRWeb.