Small Business Links for 2007-04-05

• Report: Cablecos Target Small Business Phone Market - The top 20 cable operators are looking to get a piece of the small business phone market, a move that could cost incumbent phone companies more than $4 billion over the next five years, according to a new market research report from Insight Research Corp.
  
  
• JPMorgan Chase Bank is Named Ex-Im Bank's Small Business Lender of the Year - One of the largest banks in the world has earned the distinction of being named the 2007 Small Business Lender of the Year by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).
  
  
• Outlook positive for small business - Canada's economic and financial outlook bodes well for small-business owners into 2008, but tight labour market conditions will remain a key challenge, a TD Economics report suggests.
  
  
• Cisco goes for small, small business - Cisco is increasing its small business focus with the launch of a new suite of products and certification for resellers going after small business customers.
  
  
• Voda Joins with DSG for Small Business - Vodafone and DSG are joining forces, and Voda will be sell its range of voice and data services for small business customers through 30 DSG stores such as PC World.
  
  
• Cisco vs. Microsoft: Small Business Showdown - During Cisco's annual partner summit in Las Vegas this week, Cisco is announcing an aggressive push into small and midsize businesses. The initiative sets the stage for Cisco to both compete -- and collaborate -- more closely with Microsoft.

Small Business Branding / Sponsorship

Vodafone and Sky launched a new television series entitled "The Big Idea" where contestants compete for seed money to turn their business plans into reality. Vodafone has also just launched its small business price plans and are hoping the show will serve as a vehicle to promote the new offerings to entrepreneurs.

Why target SMEs at the pre-startup stage?
Having no history with other providers, companies see the startup stage as an ideal one to become the default brand option. Duncan Robbie runs Shell Livewire, a forum for small business owners. In his opinion, "Entrepreneurs tend to be focused individuals that know what they're looking for. They make the judgement call and are the decision maker; you don't have to go through any gate-keepers. Entrepreneurs are more susceptible to change and new working ideas."

Nick Moss runs the Business Startup tradeshow and comments "Targeting entrepreneurs and pre-start businesses is a logical step for any business. If you are a bank, for example, then targeting a business before it starts is definitely logical. You become the lead supplier as the entrepreneur hasn't got a history with other companies. Entrepreneurs are essentially risk takers; they step out of the guaranteed income and assurity band. They have no guarantees as to where their next pay cheque is coming from, so they are willing to take a greater risk."

How to reach small business owners?
Entrepreneurs are notoriously difficult to reach. There is no one database of small business owners and gaining access to those who are considering starting their own company is an even greater challenge for marketers. Vodafone is hoping that through the television show small business owners will identify themselves and consider the pricing packages that Vodafone has to offer.

Evaluating pre-startup entrepreneurs
Moss from the Business Startup tradeshow further comments, "Twenty per cent of visitors attending the event will never actually start a business. Exhibitors have to be ruthless: talk to them and clarify that they're actually worth talking to."

Moss feels that there are three types of entrepreneurs:

1. those thinking about starting a business
2. those undertaking a "reality check"
3. those who are already in the process of starting a business

The last group offers the greatest opportunity for marketers who are trying to sell into small business.

Vodafone is off to the right start and are targeting the entrepreneurs who already have the idea and are starting their business. According to B2B Marketing, "With such an increase in activity; TV, Internet and face-to-face marketing all taking a big step towards entrepreneurs, and the establishment of a degree dedicated to just that, it seems that entrepreneurs might just be the next big thing for brands."