Mark Twain wrote, “Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”

The following questionnaire will help you find out.  How many “YES” answers do you get?

1. I am receptive to advertising
2. My staff is receptive to advertising
3. I have a good product or service
4. I have a unique product or service
5. I will sell more if more people know my special or unique offer
6. Most people don’t automatically think of my company when they need my product or service
7. Most people don’t know about my web site
8. I want to increase market share
9. My offer or unique proposition is better than those of my competitors
10. I want to expand my company
11. I want my company to be an industry leader in the market
12. My category is competitive
13. My business is relationship driven
14. I need a steady stream of new prospects/customers
15. I want my potential customers to buy sooner
16. I want my customers to buy more often
17. My salespeople make cold calls by phone or in person
18. I’d rather that my sales people spend their time on closing business than on cold calling
19. My potential customers are skeptical about what I offer
20. My potential customers don’t seem to respect or respond to my sales people
21. My sales people don’t speak with confidence about my business
22. My employees don’t feel generally proud of their company
23. I want to hire talented people
24. I want to retain good employees
25. I want to ride the strong periods longer
26. I want to recover from the recessions sooner
27. I want to attract investors

0-9 “Yes” answers:  There’s no real urgency to advertise. Advertising should be considered on an as-needed basis only.

10-18 “Yes” answers:  Advertising is recommended to speed up your company’s growth. Allocate a consistent small to mid-size budget and start weighing your options.

19-27 “Yes” answers:  Advertising is essential to your survival. It is the bread and butter of your business. Allocate a sizable budget, weigh your options and consistently commit to an advertising plan.

To get started with a deeper specific analysis on how advertising can help:

START HERE.