I have heard and read a lot of different definitions of marketing over the course of my career. Most are long, drawn out, boring, even confusing attempts at trying to nail down all the complexities of marketing into one meaningful (or not so meaningful) statement.

When most people think about business reputation, they think about the reputation of the business itself. But a business cannot really have a reputation. No, the reputation is set by the people within the business, and the example starts with you.

There is a lot of overhyped free education being offered all over the web. More times than not, the “education” is stupidly basic, unrealistic, an exaggerated story of success, or, worse yet, really just a sales pitch. This is not what I am talking about.

Having a great brand is one of many aspects of business and marketing success. Branding: when fully understood and implemented, can propel you to success or, if misunderstood and ignored, will lead to business failure.

It may seem odd to put those two phrases together, “Consumer Research” and “Small Business.” Consumer research seems like such a big business tactic (and it is), but that does not mean that there is not a version of it that small businesses can use for their own advantage.

Advertising on a small business budget can almost seem like an oxymoron. How do you apply this to a small business advertising budget? I am glad you asked! The main key is to not follow big business tactics for your small business.