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How to create a marketing plan for your small business - build a brand, target customers and set prices that will maximise sales.

The internet has transformed business marketing. No matter what you do, the internet is likely to be at the heart of your marketing strategy.

Social media is firmly established as a marketing tool. Having a presence opens up new lines of communication with existing and potential customers.

Good advertising puts the right marketing message in front of the right people at the right time, raising awareness of your business.

Customer care is at the heart of all successful companies. It can help you develop customer loyalty and improve relationships with your customers.

Sales bring in the money that enables your business to survive and grow. Your sales strategy will be driven by your sales objectives.

Market research exists to guide your business decisions by giving you insight into your market, competitors, products, marketing and your customers.

Exhibitions and events are valuable for businesses because they allow face-to-face communication and offer opportunities for networking.

Small businesses forced to adapt as shoppers reject cash

29 June 2021

Cash-only small firms risk losing customers if they don't offer alternative payment options, a new study finds.

Payment methods have become a key factor during the pandemic as new research reveals that six in ten shoppers (61%) say they now use less cash because of hygiene fears. What's more, one in five people (20%) say they would be put off from using a small business if they could only pay in cash.

These are the findings of a new survey conducted by Opinium on behalf of QR-code based payment and invoicing app, tomato pay. The research also indicates that more than half (53%) of cash-only businesses have lost customers in the past year because they don't offer alternative payment options. Overall, a third (35%) of shoppers say they choose where to shop based on the availability of non-cash payment options.

However, while cash-only small businesses know they are risking losing customers by only accepting cash payments, 42% say they find it difficult to justify the costs of offering contactless card payments while half (50%) say they have concerns about security.

Nicholas Heller, founder and ceo of tomato pay, said: "Community has never been as important as it is today and watching the business and sole trader community struggle throughout the pandemic has spurred many of us to support our local communities and businesses, but people still want to be able to pay how they choose."

There are alternatives to contactless card payments, including QR-code based payments. In fact, the research found that 42% of people said it would be far easier to make a payment if all they had to do was scan a QR code.

"Many small businesses can't justify the costs of offering card payments, but there is clear support for QR-code based payments which are far cheaper for small businesses to implement, with four in ten people saying they'd find it easier to pay a small business using a QR code," said Heller.

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