Marketing Tool Created from Survey

South Austin’s independent business owners are eclectic, have a unique flavor, don’t mind mixing with big businesses coming into the area, but don’t necessarily like to be branded as “weird,” a study conducted by St. Edward’s University graduate students reveal.

The initial scope of work for St. Edward’s MBA students was focused on the Keep Austin Weird slogan. Students assigned to the project set out to evaluate whether small business owners identified with the slogan. Here’s what they uncovered:

• More than 70% of South Austin business owners did not have a marketing plan.
• Independent business owners needed help in developing a marketing strategy that would assist them in navigating the changing demographics and growth of South Austin.

As a result, independent business owners in South Austin can soon benefit – for free – from the MBA research with an interactive CD that provides a road map for business acceleration. The CD includes a marketing plan that is easy to customize for their unique business needs.

The CD will be available to South Austin business owners on May 20, 2008 from 11:30 to 1 p.m. at the South Austin Business Council Luncheon, an initiative of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Gege Cordeiro, owner of Your Living Room on South Congress, participated in the survey. Cordeiro says she is looking forward to using the tool and said the information will enhance her business.

About the Business Tool
The business acceleration tool, developed specifically for independent businesses in South Austin, is the work product of students in the Master of Business Administration program at St. Edward’s. The program, designed to be downloaded to a computer, provides small business owners with valuable information including:

• A list of South Austin industries by zip code
• Demographic information by zip code
• Local market analysis
• Financial analysis tools such as: balance sheets, and expense itemization
• A marketing plan template
• A trouble shooting bat button.