Premium Essay

Evaluating Sme Toolkits

In:

Submitted By danielpeters23
Words 2259
Pages 10
1207526

Supporting the Development of Marketing Capability of Small Businesses: The use of Diagnostic Audits to Benchmark an SME’s competencies against critical marketing success factors

Contents
Introduction-2
The Identification of Critical Success Factors in Marketing-2
Showcasing/Evaluation of key diagnostic audit tools-4
Conclusion-6
References-7

Introduction

In this paper I will showcase how supporting the Development of Marketing Capability of Small Businesses and The use of Diagnostic Audits to Benchmark an SME’s competencies against critical marketing. Small businesses struggle with lots of elements of the business world both external and internally exploring the use of business tool kits, the paper will discuss how these will help SME’s and which kind of tool kit is best for certain company’s.

Small micro-businesses generally only employee between 0-9 people, which in 2012, there were 4.7 million micro businesses within the UK. This figure constituted towards 96% of all businesses (Parliament.uk, 2013). SME’s will play a key role in helping to stimulate economic growth in the UK and help the recovery from recession.

The Identification of Critical Success Factors in Marketing

The introduction of a product to a market place with success is a difficult process, given that successes in a sector can be few and far between for small business. Segmentation is a key issue, exploiting gaps within this market, can lead to rapid growth when coupled with a good marketing plan. It is important to implement some strategies where the progress of the small business can be monitored and control measures can be established. These control measures can be used to monitor prices, brand positioning and reputation. This idea is based around value chain analysis, as it involves all aspects working together to create customer value (2010, pg. 108).

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Making a Success of Your Business

...With more than 64,000 small and midsize customers worldwide, SAP is a leading provider of business applications and an established and highly successful player in the small and midsize enterprise (SME) market. SAP offers a broad and innovative solution portfolio for small businesses and midsize companies to meet the heterogeneous demands of SME customers. SAP solutions for small businesses and midsize companies include SAP(r) Business One, a single integrated application for successfully managing small businesses; SAP(r) Business ByDesign(tm), the software industry’s most complete, integrated and adaptable on-demand solution for midsize companies; and SAP(r) Business All-in-One, a customizable and extensible solution for midsize companies with deep industry best practices built in. Sold, implemented and maintained through SAP and an expanding network of qualified partners, all of the solutions are competitively priced, easy and quick to implement and scalable to customers’ growing business needs. The SAP solutions specifically designed for SMEs help enable small businesses and midsize companies to lower operating costs, improve operational excellence, gain better business insight and control, and grow their businesses flexibly. Additional information is available at www.sap.com/sme Chartered Management Accountants are the first choice for financially qualified business leaders. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, founded in 1919, is the world’s leading and largest...

Words: 5458 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Accounting

...from a large company to a public one. They are aware of recent developments in corporate governance and directors liabilities. They have asked you to provide advice on corporate governance aspects and to act as a consultant during the period of transition. You decide to use the corporate governance toolkit as the basis for your research. a) Overview: 1. What are the basic principles of corporate governance? • Transparency: Are the board telling us what is going on? • Accountability: Is the board taking responsibility? • Corporate Control: Is the board doing the right thing? 2. What mechanisms are suggested by the ASX corporate Governance Council? Relating to the three principles stated in the last question. The ASX Corporate Governance Council translates the elements into mechanisms: • Is the board telling us what is going on? →forming an environment to take risk. • Is the board taking responsibility? →clarifying the role of the board and management. • Is the board doing the right thing? →Meeting information needs of investment communities. 3. What is an SME? SME stands for Small and Medium Enterprises. 4. What processes would you expect to find in a company relating to risk management and compliance processes? • Policy/framework • Board commitment, oversight and review • Accountability • Risk processes: ...

Words: 1703 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Title

...Statements This component of the toolkit contains sample financial statements intended to illustrate financial statements prepared under the FRF for SMEsTM accounting framework. Also included are sample financial statements based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). During the AICPA staff’s outreach efforts related to the FRF for SMEsTM accounting framework, users of financial statements and other stakeholders asked for comparisons of financial statements prepared under the framework to those prepared under U.S. GAAP. These are presented for comparative purposes. These sample financial statements are included for illustrative purposes and are not intended to establish reporting requirements. Furthermore, the dollar amounts shown are illustrative only and are not intended to indicate any customary relationship among accounts. The sample financial statements do not include all of the accounts and transactions that might be found in practice. The notes indicate the subject matter generally required to be disclosed, but should be expanded, reduced, or modified to suit individual circumstances and materiality considerations. In the following illustrative financial statements based on the FRF for SMEs accounting framework, it is presumed that the management of Alpha Contractors Inc. and subsidiary evaluated the financial reporting needs and responsibilities of their businesses and determined that the FRF for SMEs accounting framework was a...

Words: 6256 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

On the Formalisation of Erp Systems Procurement

...On the Formalisation of ERP Systems Procurement Xavier Franch Joan A. Pastor Universitat Polictècnica de Catalunya Universitat Polictècnica de Catalunya c/Jordi Girona 1-3 c/Jordi Girona 1-3 UPC Campus Nord, C6 UPC Campus Nord, C6 Barcelona, Catalunya E-08034 Spain Barcelona, Catalunya E-08034 Spain +34 3 401 69 65 +34 3 401 70 21 franch@lsi.upc.es pastor@lsi.upc.es ABSTRACT In this position paper we present and defend a set of statements regarding ERP procurement. The statements highlight the importance of ERP procurement processes and propose that they should be as well-defined and systematic as possible. For this reason, we advocate the use of formal notations for structuring the criteria used during ERP selection, for describing ERPs with respect to these criteria and in general to help the whole selection process, including tool support. Finally, we point out several open issues that need to be considered. Most of the opinions expressed here arise from a real industrial ERP procurement experience. Keywords ERP procurement, ERP acquisition. 1 ERP PROCUREMENT MOTIVATION A clear trend in both private and public companies with regard to their current options for software-based management Information Systems (IS) is the fast and wide proliferation of large packaged ready-made Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, surely among the most extreme instances of current Customizable Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software packages. We present in this and the ...

Words: 3224 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Internet and Business

...Copyright © United Nations 2007 All rights reserved Manufactured in Thailand The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the United Nations. Mention of firm names and commercial products does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations. This publication has been issued without formal editing. ii PREFACE The role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in national competitiveness and development, as well as in generating jobs and revenues for countless citizens, is well documented. Their meaningful and useful access to Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), particularly the Internet, will significantly enhance this critical role and will drive demand for and innovation in the ICT sector even more. This set of training modules was therefore developed to serve as a policymaking reference on Internet Use for Business Development, principally for middle- to senior-level Internet policy makers and implementers of public policy issues of Internet governance. More particularly, it is intended as an introductory guide to the various issues and legislative/policy options that developing...

Words: 27227 - Pages: 109

Premium Essay

Systematic Review

...Business Process Management Journal A systematic review of Lean Six Sigma for the manufacturing industry Saja Ahmed Albliwi Jiju Antony Sarina Abdul halim Lim Article information: Downloaded by North South University At 22:57 26 January 2016 (PT) To cite this document: Saja Ahmed Albliwi Jiju Antony Sarina Abdul halim Lim , (2015),"A systematic review of Lean Six Sigma for the manufacturing industry", Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 665 - 691 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-03-2014-0019 Downloaded on: 26 January 2016, At: 22:57 (PT) References: this document contains references to 63 other documents. To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 961 times since 2015* Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: Saja Albliwi, Jiju Antony, Sarina Abdul Halim Lim, Ton van der Wiele, (2014),"Critical failure factors of Lean Six Sigma: a systematic literature review", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 31 Iss 9 pp. 1012-1030 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-09-2013-0147 M.P.J. Pepper, T.A. Spedding, (2010),"The evolution of lean Six Sigma", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 27 Iss 2 pp. 138-155 http:// dx.doi.org/10.1108/02656711011014276 Diego Pacheco, Isaac Pergher, Guilherme Luís Roehe Vaccaro, Carlos Fernando Jung, Carla ten Caten, (2015),"18 comparative aspects between...

Words: 13381 - Pages: 54

Premium Essay

Knowledge Management and Organizational Performance: Theoretical Study

...Knowledge management and organizational performance: Theoretical Study 1. Introduction Knowledge is an asset that needs to be effectively managed. Interest in knowledge management (KM) has grown dramatically in the recent years, as more researchers and practitioners have become aware of the knowledge potential to drive innovation and improve performance. For an organization to remain competitive, it must effectively practice the activities of creating, acquiring, documenting, transferring, and applying knowledge in solving problems and exploiting opportunities. Many researchers argue what the organization comes to know explains its performance. The ultimate test of any business concept, such as KM, is whether it improves business performance. If organizations cannot use knowledge to improve performance, knowledge does not have measurable value. However, management research has often overlooked the role of knowledge and KM in the analysis of organizations and their performance. Most of KM research consists of either theoretical analyses of KM issues or case-based reviews of organizations’ KM practices. Consequently, KM research is short of offering an unambiguous understanding of the role of KM in improving organizational performance. On the other hand, effective KM entails an understanding of the interrelationships that may exist among KM processes such as knowledge acquisition, knowledge creation, knowledge documentation, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application. These...

Words: 9792 - Pages: 40

Premium Essay

Managementaccountant.Pdf

...Journal do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India nor can the Institute by any way be held responsible for them. The contents of this journal are the copyright of The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India, whose permission is necessary for reproduction in whole or in part. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ the management accountant, May, 2010 Cost Management for Growth of SME in Textile Sector by R. Gopal 387 Performance Monitoring in SME Sector by I. Mohamed Ibrahim 388 Cost Management : Key to Survival in Current Global Meltdown by S. Jeyaraj 392 Cost Management : Key to Survival in Current Global Meltdown by Guruprasad D. 400 Salient Feature of MOU by ICWAI with CBEC 406 Request for Comments on Exposure Draft of CAS 408 Essay Competition Notice 411 WIRC Seminar 414 Examination Notification - ICWAI 418 Exam Programme - CAT 419 Continuing Education Programme 420 Notice 421 ○ Editorial 347 President’s Communique 348 Speech by Hon’ble...

Words: 53260 - Pages: 214

Premium Essay

Study Guide

...Migrating to a Standardized ERP System in a Cloud Computing Environment at ABC Corporation Barbara Ferneyhough Managerial Applications of Information Technology – IS535 (ON) Section B DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management December 11, 2011 Course Project Example used with permission from student Migrating to a Standardized ERP System in a Cloud Computing Environment at ABC Corporation Proposal Topic This proposal discusses the use of multiple financial systems throughout ABC Corporation (ABC), the impact that this has upon effective corporate operations and proposes a solution. ABC maintains four different ERP systems (BaaN, PeopleSoft, SAP and Deltek) and a financial consolidation system (Hyperion) across all of its divisions leading to increased IT costs as individual systems must be procured, maintained, and manipulated to provide financial data in a format that is meaningful to the home office for reporting and strategic management purposes. Not only is this a potentially inefficient use of technology, the use of a non-standardized system impacts the ability of management to obtain, manipulate and interpret critical data elements for strategic planning purposes and regular performance monitoring. Problem The business problem to be solved is how to improve operational efficiencies, reduce IT costs, and improve insight into the financial management aspects of the company for improved strategic planning and performance monitoring. Approach ...

Words: 7227 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Tqm Proposal

...1.0Title THE IMPACT OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The proposed title for this research study is The Impact of Total Quality Management (TQM) to achieve competitive advantage in the Hospitality Sector. The research will give a background of information and literature review on TQM practices and how it enhances customer satisfaction by offering effective customer service. It will present various methodologies and approaches that will be used to achieve the research objectives. Total quality management has been evolving in the hospitality business since quality assurance was introduced in the 1980s (Breiter et al 1995) 2.0. Introduction The hospitality industry is a service based industry as services are produced and consumed in real time and are inherently variable – from customer to customer, from provider to provider and from time to time for the same customer and/or the same provider (John 2003). Total quality management (TQM) in the hospitality industry has risen to amazing levels due to preferences, customer behavior and competition to retain and attract new customers. This has resulted in the demand for quality service thus necessitating the need to implement TQM strategies to have a competitive edge over other players in the industry. Acceptance of TQM strategies in the hospitality industry (Raj Kumar, 2005), with service quality being an important factor for growth and survival is an integral part to achieve success...

Words: 3868 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Contemporary Business Issues

...Module 1 - The Accoutant As Strategic Business Adviser The Need For Advice 1.4 (9 issues small business entrepreneurs seek advice about - business structure, IP, liability, regulation, contracts, etc) 1.4 (Malach, Robinson & Radcliff 2006) 1.4 (business efficiency & productivity, management information systems, risk management & internal controls) 1.5 (strategic level - selecting appropriate growth strategies, identifying new products and markets, etc) 1.5 (the need for advice variety of reasons - consider the demand for advice arises) 1.5 (Xiao & Fu 2009) 1.5 Table 1.1 - Characteristics Of Different Sized Organisations 1.6 (SE MSE LE - organisation, strategy, customer/community, financial, governance, work force, IT processes) 1.6 Requests For Advice: Operational - Srategic - Global 1.7 (improving operational performance, greater strategic role, globally relevant issues) 1.7 Example 1.1: A Busniess Dilemma 1.7 Counterpoint (opposing arguement, soft skills, first: make the right decision about the services they perform - second:) 1.7 Providing And Implementing Advice (technical skills, soft skills) 1.8 Figure 1.1 - Providing Business Advisory Services 1.8 (issue, requirement, request, investigation, advice, decision, implementation) 1.8 (recommend actions should be well supported, identify key stakeholders) 1.9 Figure 1.2 - The Chain Of Events For Business Advisory Services) 1.9 Example 1.2: Succession Plan - Please Help 1.9 ...

Words: 7475 - Pages: 30

Premium Essay

Trade Finance

...GUIDE FOR EXPORTING SMEs EXPORT IMPACT FOR GOOD © International Trade Centre 2009 The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. Street address: ITC, 54-56, rue de Montbrillant, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland ITC, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland +41-22 730 0111 +41-22 733 4439 itcreg@intracen.org http://www.intracen.org Postal address: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Internet: HOW TO ACCESS TRADE FINANCE A GUIDE FOR EXPORTING SMEs Geneva 2009 ii ABSTRACT FOR TRADE INFORMATION SERVICES 2009 F-04.03 HOW INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE (ITC) How to Access Trade Finance: A guide for exporting SMEs Geneva: ITC, 2009. x, 135 p. Guide dealing with the processes involved in obtaining finance for exporting SMEs – explains the credit process of financial institutions from pre-application to loan repayment; examines the SME sector and barriers to finance, as well as the risks in lending to the SME sector as perceived by financial institutions; addresses SMEs’ internal assessment of financial needs, determining the right financing instruments, and finding the appropriate lenders and service providers; discusses how to approach and negotiate with banks; tackles cash flow and risk management issues; includes examples of real-life business plans and loan requests; includes bibliography (p. 134). Descriptors: Trade Financing, Export Financing, Export Credit, Risk Management, SMEs, Manuals. English...

Words: 58166 - Pages: 233

Premium Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility

...Corporate Social Responsibility An Implementation Guide for Business Paul Hohnen, Author Jason Potts, Editor Corporate Social Responsibility An Implementation Guide for Business Paul Hohnen, Author Jason Potts, Editor ii Corporate Social Responsibility: An Implementation Guide for Business © 2007, International Institute for Sustainable Development The International Institute for Sustainable Development contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change and energy, measurement and assessment, and sustainable natural resources management. Through the Internet, we report on international negotiations and share knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries and better dialogue between North and South. IISD’s vision is better living for all—sustainably; its mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably. IISD is registered as a charitable organization in Canada and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States. IISD receives core operating support from the Government of Canada, provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Environment Canada; and from the Province of Manitoba. The Institute receives project funding from numerous governments inside and outside Canada,...

Words: 41123 - Pages: 165

Premium Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility

...Corporate Social Responsibility An Implementation Guide for Business Paul Hohnen, Author Jason Potts, Editor Corporate Social Responsibility An Implementation Guide for Business Paul Hohnen, Author Jason Potts, Editor ii Corporate Social Responsibility: An Implementation Guide for Business © 2007, International Institute for Sustainable Development The International Institute for Sustainable Development contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change and energy, measurement and assessment, and sustainable natural resources management. Through the Internet, we report on international negotiations and share knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries and better dialogue between North and South. IISD’s vision is better living for all—sustainably; its mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably. IISD is registered as a charitable organization in Canada and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States. IISD receives core operating support from the Government of Canada, provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Environment Canada; and from the Province of Manitoba. The Institute receives project funding from numerous governments inside and outside Canada,...

Words: 41123 - Pages: 165

Premium Essay

Fasgsga

...THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF KNOWLEDGE, CULTURE AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT Madrid, Spain Diversity Assessment Tools: A Comparison Abstract: Much has been written about how to address diversity in the human resources function (recruitment, retention, professional development etc.) but less has been written about how to develop strategies to leverage diversity in other areas. This study proposes an approach to exploring diversity through the value chain and a tool to help an organization assess its strategy. The Diversity Audit Tool (DAT) was developed from an analysis of current diversity practices in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Sector in Canada. This paper will review the dimensions of the tool and compare it to six other diversity lenses. Keywords: Diversity assessment, diversity audit tool, diversity lens, “business” case for diversity. Increasingly corporations in Canada have stressed the importance of embracing diversity and have stressed the benefits of creating inclusive work environments which:  Promote the work of all organizational members and ensures that it is acknowledged, respected, and that employees are compensated equitably for it  Value diversity both within the organization and outside of it  Implement a meritocracy – rather than non-job-related ascribed characteristics – ensuring the need for equality and fairness underpins the organizational culture  Emphasize individual accountability at all levels of the organization  Constantly...

Words: 5280 - Pages: 22