Customer Reviews

Small Business Marketing for Dummies

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a card-carrying dummy, I opened "Small Business Marketing for Dummies" with high hopes. I wasn't disappointed: in great detail and in plain English, Barbara Findlay Schenck has produced an exhaustive, fact-packed, thoroughly enjoyable guide to marketing. While I've picked up a few tricks of the trade during my ten years in retail/distribution, both as a sole proprietor and in a partnership, Schenck's book shows me how much more I have to learn in this wide and fascinating arena. Besides serving as a powerful motivator, "Small Business Marketing for Dummies" is long on specifics: the hows and whys of reaching customers and bringing them back for more. The book's Internet chapters, for example, are chock full of Web sites and strategies completely new to me. Having read many other marketing resources over the years, I can say without equivocation that this one comes closest to being a bible of the genre. Even the most clueless among us can use the book as a kind of in-house consultant, an easy, expert guide through the labyrinth of marketing a small business.

Don't let the title mislead you. Even if you already have a background in marketing, you'll love this book-- I did.

Barbara Schenck clearly explains the jargon, terminology, value, and implementation details of each facet of marketing, using real-world (and often humorous) examples. This book is so accessible to non-marketeers that our company has made Chapter 21 (Customer Service) required reading for each member of our team.

This book is empowering, informative, inspirational. If you're rethinking your marketing (and what business isn't constantly obsessed with satisfying their customers), then make this book your road map. As instructed by the simple exercises in each chapter, I took notes while making my way through the book. Then following the instructions in the final chapters, I was able to create a Marketing Plan in just a few hours. I found the process invigorating, and our clients can already feel our enthusiasm-- and we haven't even started implementing yet!

Barbara Findlay Schenck has FINALLY brought us what we've all, as small business owners and entrepreneurs been in need of, the consummate book of wisdom and guidance for marketing concerns A-Z. I had not a single question remaining in my mind when I closed the back cover. She's thought of it all. Absolutely invaluable information, in fact, perhaps priceless.Excellent investment.

I really liked this book overall. It brought a lot of things together for me. But, I think too much of the book is dedicated to advertising, which a really small business or startup may not have the funds to do. I think more on promotion and "guerilla" tactics would have made this a really outstanding book.

I purchased this book back in 2005 when it was hot off the presses. I skimmed it back then, and thought it was a good book. Last year I started working as a SCORE volunteer, and about the same time I started reviewing some of the business books I own. Since this book does not set my world on fire regarding small business marketing, I have not made it a priority to post a review. It's raining and miserable outside right now. So I've found some time to write this review and post it.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I think it has some very good content. Many of my clients at SCORE are so new to writing business plans and understanding small business mechanics that they would benefit greatly from reading this book. It covers the topics of (1) advertising, (2) public relations, (3) publicity, (4) online marketing, and (5) customer service. I think it was missing some information on the "sixth topic" called self promotion that includes such techniques as writing articles, writing books, and doing talks, presentations, seminars, and workshops. Then, of course, there is also the topic of networking that could have been included.

In her bio the author says she has a background in writing, public relations, and advertising. With a background like that I suspect she could have written a better book on how to market nonprofits rather than a book aimed at helping small business. But that's just a hunch of mine.

When I counsel my SCORE clients I rarely even discuss advertising as a marketing option. I really don't see a place for advertising in a small business owner's marketing arsenal. The exception to this rule is when the client runs or wants to run a retail business. However, I usually poo-poo dreams to start retail businesses since I think they are too capital intensive and usually not worth the effort to run.

But the beauty of this book is that it gives an overview of five of the seven areas a small business should consider and use when marketing his or her small business. There could have been lots and lots more on online marketing sure enough. And the title of the book probably leads many potential readers to think it would. But that subject can be, and is, covered better and in more detail in other books.

A small business owner should not ignore the potential benefits it can get from creating a public relations plan and publicity plan within its overall marketing plan. And the author does a nice job of making this point. Sure, there could have been more written, but there are other books out there that are doing that already.

The oddest thing about this book to me is that it is about marketing and it appears no marketing has gone in to promoting this book. There are currently just 4 book reviews for it listed at Amazon, and ALL are for the previous edition published in 2001. The author does not have an Amazon profile attached to her book listing, and as a result she does not have an Amazon Plog. I generally expect someone who writes about marketing to practice what they preach, and I don't see it in the author for this book. That doesn't mean the book is bad, but I certainly think less of it as a result. 4 stars!

Small Business Marketing for Dummies, Second Edition

this book is information about small business marketing at its simplest level. It touches basic information. For people without any knowledge of subject. I found it a helpful.

It's a nice book with some good tips. I haven't really had the idea that the book gave me some real new ideas for my business, it's all quite standard.

Barbara Schenck displays a clean, clear review of the basics of small business marketing. As an entrepreneur, I found her A-Z terminology very helpful. I also happen to like the crystal-clear and how-to marketing instruction in How To Market A Product For Under $500! (Volume 5)

I'm a big fan of this line of books. This one is great even if you work for a large company...but it's specifically for small business owners. I liked it becaue it offered easy to implement ideas and suggestions for marketing your business and growing sales. Marketing can be incredible fun if you let yourself enjoy it and this book offers some sound advice for those who want to try integrating things themselves without paying an outside consultant big bucks.

Great book with a ton of information. I feel like I know marketing from top to bottom and I didn't have a clue when I started. Worth reading if you are just starting out in a small business.