FEATURE
PAPER
Examining
Personal Contact Network Success of the Marketing
Entrepreneur
The
following paper was presented at the 2006 USASBE/SBI Conference.
It was written by Diane M. Martin of the
University of Portland.
Abstract
Recent calls for a more entrepreneur-centric perspective of marketing theory offer opportunities
to probe shared dimensions of both academic disciplines. Personal contact networks are central
to both bodies of literature. This study examines these networks in the contexts of both
marketing and entrepreneurial theory. Analysis of a case is used illuminate the primacy of
personal contact networks for entrepreneurs in marketing enterprises.
Executive Summary
Addressing marketing theory and practice from the perspective of entrepreneurs demonstrates
both the convergence of philosophies and the divergence of marketing in day-to-day practice.
Entrepreneurs are skilled in many business practices, but are not expected to have expertise in
any particular area. Importantly, divergence from formal theory that falls within the philosophy
of Entrepreneurial Marketing provides a foundation and logic that brings marketing home for
practitioners.
This case study of a marketing entrepreneur, one whose business is marketing provides a
provocative look at how formal marketing theory and practice can work for an entrepreneur.
Examining how a marketing-knowledgeable entrepreneur practices some aspects of formal
marketing theory while privileging the creativity, flexibility and innovation of day-to-day
business found in entrepreneurship. Roles and importance of personal contact networks in each
aspect of marketing are examined. Finally, entrepreneurs are encouraged to assess their own
situations and identify ways to increase the reach of their personal contact network and improve
their communication skills.
Read
the Entire Paper...
TIP
OF THE WEEK
Franchise Red Flags
The American Franchisee Association strongly recommends that you do not sign a franchise agreement if it contains one of these provisions:
Gag Rules: Franchise agreements may not allow current franchisees to discuss any aspect of their business experience with anyone outside the system - which defeats the purpose of the FTC disclosure rules.
Franchisor Venue Provisions: These provisions may require any disputes to be litigated or arbitrated in the home state of the franchisor, increasing the franchisee's travel costs and giving franchisors home field advantage.
Lack of Reciprocal Cure
Periods: Agreements need to provide equal remedies if the other party defaults, but not all do.
Nonreciprocal
Noncompete Covenants: Franchisors have a lot of leeway in placing new franchises wherever they want, but agreements can include oppressive noncompete covenants.
Sole Sourcing Requirements: Product-oriented franchises often require franchisees to purchase goods only from the franchisor. Allowing purchase from alternate sources (with quality standards) is better.
Mandatory Subleases with
Rent Overrides: Many franchise systems require the franchisee to sublease real estate from the franchisor, allowing the franchisor to gain profit without risk.
Lack of Accountability
for Advertising Funds: Franchisors do not always have to spend advertising dollars in markets where franchisees have paid in.
Lack of Reciprocal Legal
Fee Provisions: Many agreements require franchisees to pay all of the franchisor's legal expenses if litigation arises between parties.
Radically Different Franchise
Agreements on Renewal: Many franchises are surprised to find that they are not really renewing their existing deal, but entering into a wholly new, sometimes very different franchise agreement.
Unilateral Amendments
to the Franchise Agreements: Franchisors have the latitude to change operations and policies from time to time, thereby unilaterally changing the franchisee agreement.
| Timothy
S. Hatten.
Small Business Management: Entrepreneurship and Beyond.
2006. Houghton Mifflin Company. p149. |
|
CONFERENCES
SLU
|
| Who: |
Saint
Louis University-John Cook School of Business,
Entrepreneurship Program
|
| What: |
Gateway
Series for Entrepreneurship
|
| Where: |
Saint
Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
| When: |
April
12-14, 2007 |
|
|
|
NVC
|
| Who: |
New
Venture Championship
|
| What: |
New
Venture Championship
|
| Where: |
Embassy
Suites - Portland, Oregon, USA |
| When: |
April
12-14, 2007 |
|
|
|
EFP
|
| Who: |
Eye
For Procurement
|
| What: |
Supplier
Management Forum 2007
|
| Where: |
Miami,
Florida, USA |
| When: |
April
17-18, 2007 |
|
|
|
IIT
|
| Who: |
Illinois
Institute of Technology
|
| What: |
An
IIT Interprofessional Education
Conference
|
| Where: |
Chicago,
Illinois, USA |
| When: |
April
26-27, 2007 |
|
|
|
ISBE
|
| Who: |
Institute
for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
|
| What: |
30th
Annual ISBE Conference
|
| Where: |
Heriot-Watt
University, Glasgow, Scotland |
| When: |
November
7-9, 2007 |
|
|
|
CALLS FOR PAPERS
SMA
|
| Who: |
Southern
Management Association |
| What: |
Annual
Meeting
|
| Where: |
Nashville,
Tennessee, USA |
| When: |
November
7-10, 2007 |
Submission
Deadline:
April 14, 2007
|
|
|
|
AMA
|
| Who: |
Atlantic
Marketing Association
|
| What: |
Annual
Meeting
|
| Where: |
New
Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| When: |
September
26-29, 2007 |
Submission
Deadline:
April 17, 2007
|
|
|
|
ASBBS
|
| Who: |
American
Society of Business
and Behavioral Sciences
|
| What: |
10th
International Conference of the American Society
of Business
and Behavioral Sciences
|
| Where: |
Waikiki
Beach, Hawaii, USA |
| When: |
June
28-30, 2007 |
Submission
Deadline:
May 20, 2007
|
|
|
|
FBD
|
| Who: |
Federation
of Business Disciplines
|
| What: |
Annual
Meeting
|
| Where: |
Hyatt
Regency, Houston, Texas, USA |
| When: |
March
4-8, 2008 |
|
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The
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Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ASBE),
Federation of Business Disciplines (FBD), International Council
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(ISM), The International Small Business Congress (ISBC), Marketing
Management Association (MMA), Small Business Administration
(SBA), Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), Small Business
Institute (SBI), Society for Marketing Advances (SMA), United
States Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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are interested in membership or would like further information
on one of our affiliates, please see our web site at http://www.sbaer.uca.edu
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