Successfully marketing a small business is a specialised undertaking that can't be left to any Joe Soap marketer. To survive and prosper, a small business should have a marketing plan that is based on an in-depth knowledge of the nuances and trends of the market in which the small business operates.

That sort of knowledge is usually only available from those that run the business. This means that picking a ready made marketing plan off the internet or bookshelf is likely to be a recipe for disaster because the inputs will have been non specific generalisations. As the old computer adage goes: Rubbish in = rubbish out!

In comparison to Big Business, small businesses are particularly vulnerable to even minor cashflow fluctuations as they simply do not have the financial resources to survive through a lean period. It is therefore vital for a small business to formulate, construct and follow a practical marketing plan that gives the business the best possible chance of obtaining and sustaining a positive cashflow.

The fundamentals of marketing a business are the same regardless of the size of the business, but a small business usually doesn't have the same financial and human resources available to it that big businesses do. On the plus side, decision makers in a small business usually have closer contact with customers and a better feel for the market in their particular niche.

In order to capitalise on these strengths, and avoid being hurt by any lack of budget or manpower, a small business owner needs to be directly involved in formulating a marketing plan that is specifically tailored for his or her business.