ABSTRACT
The study examined the Analysis of Marketing Activities of Small Scale Business Enterprises in Abia State, Nigeria. It determine the effect of sales volume on the market performance of the selected enterprises; find out the effect of price and profitability on the market of the selected enterprises. The study made use of primary data which were collected using questionnaire. These collected were analyzed using simple percentages; while the stated hypothesis were tested using multiple regression. After the statistical analyzed, the researcher concluded that product price, market shares, customers satisfaction and sales volume were the significant factors that led to market performance among the selected enterprises in the study area. However, the study reveals that most of the entrepreneurs in Aba state were middle aged people that are married with household size of 5 to 9 persons. They are small scale entrepreneurs who are relatively literature with adequate business skills and experience. That gender, level of education household size, business capital, productivity and profitability rate, interest rate charges were the major determinants in determining the marketing performance of small and medium scale enterprises in Abia State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Title
Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication
iv
Acknowledgement v
Table
of Contents vi
List
of Tables ix
Abstract
x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 2
1.3 Objectives of the Study 3
1.4 Research Questions 4
1.5 Statement of Hypothesis 4
1.6 Significance of the Study 4
1.7 Scope of the Study 4
1.8 Limitation of the Study 5
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction 6
2.2 The Concept of Small Enterprise 6
2.3 The Importance of Small Scale Businesses 7
2.4 The History of Small scale Business Enterprises
in Nigeria 9
2.5 The Contributions of SMEs to the Nigerian
Economy 11
2.6 Motives for Establishing a Small Scale
Business Enterprise 12
2.7 Limitations and Prospects of SMEs Business
Development in Nigeria 14
2.8 Government Contributions towards Small
Scale Business Enterprises 18
2.9 Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Failure 23
2.10 Entrepreneurial Skills and Small business
Development 23
2.11 An overview of Marketing and Market
Performance 25
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design 29
3.2 Study Area 29
3.3 Population of the Study 29
3.4 Sampling Techniques 30
3.5 Determination of Sample Size 30
3.6 Method of Data Collection 31
3.6.1 Instrument 31
3.6.2 Data Source 31
3.7 Method of Data Analysis 31
3.8 Model Specification 32
3.9 Validity 33
3.10 Reliability 33
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Socio-Economic Characteristics of the
Respondents 34
4.1.1 Distribution of Respondents according to Age 34
4.1.2 Distribution of Respondents according to
Marital Status 35
4.1.3 Distribution of Respondents according to
Household size 35
4.1.4 Distribution of Respondents According to
Level of Education 36
4.1.5 Distribution of Respondents According to
Years of Business Experience 37
4.1.6 Distribution of Respondents According to
Earned Income 38
4.1.7 Determinants
of Borrowing Behaviours of Entrepreneurs (Via Sectorial
Choice Analysis) 39
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary 44
5.2 Conclusion 44
5.3 Recommendations 45
References 47
Appendix
LIST OF TABLES
Table
4.1: Distribution of Respondents by
Age 34
Table
4.2: Distribution
of Respondents according to Marital Status 35
Table
4.3: Distribution
of Respondents by Household Size 35
Table 4.4: Distribution of Respondents according to Problems facing Small
Scale Enterprises 36
Table
4.5: Distribution of respondents by
Level of Education
Table
4.6: Distribution
of Respondents according to Business Experience 37
Table 4.7: Distribution of respondents according to earned income from
Business Activities 38
Table 4.8: Distribution of respondents according to average amount of
loan borrowed from diverse financial sources they
borrowed from 39
Table 4.9: Distribution of respondents according to interest rate of the
loan borrowed 40
Table 4.10: The factors affecting selected small scale enterprises in Abia
State 41
their impact on marketing performance of entrepreneurs
in
were examined using the multiple regression analysis.
The result
is shown on table 4.11
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The concepts of small scale
businesses has been an issue for debate
as different individuals, nation and groups defines it to suit their own
systems and purposes.
Some authors defined small
scale business from the stand point of its relevance in the development of any
economy.
However, The Central Bank of
Nigeria Magazine defines small scale business enterprise in terms of the
business annual turnover, which accordingly, must be is than N500,000, the small scale industries
established with capital investment totaling N
250,000, and staffed with between 50 and 150 employees qualify as mall scale
industries.
The confusion associated with
the definition of small scale business can be reduced de-emphasizing factors
associated with monetary terms and speaking on general Thus small scale
business can be summarized as having the following characteristics:
The economy development of
any nation is improved largely by its enterprising. The characteristic emerges
forth interplay of behavior and activity of entrepreneurs who with their small
scale businesses constitute a vital sector in the economy of any nation (Okon, 2003).
Market performance has always
been a cause of concern to small scale business in Nigeria in particular and the entire world at large. In
recent times, lack of proper adoption of
marketing and marketing concept has led to business failures. In Abia it has assumed greater dimension. Consequently, quite a lot
of small scale enterprises have been forced
out of business.
The analysis of strategic
factors affecting market performance small scale nesses enterprises in Abia
State in essence, the areas of the operation of this
work are considered through some selected retailing
and wholesaling business in ion to theme of this study in anticipation that
this work will contribute towards ting the market performance metrics and
tools; as well as problems of market performance of small scale businesses and
providing possible solution to them.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The marketing problems faced
by small scale business all over the world is so much and can be best
appreciated by a short survey of the amongst this sector of economy in the
developed and developing countries.
In the United States in the
1950's, 250 small scale businesses failed every week out
of every five enterprises disappeared within a decade
(Adewunmil, 1986:6). The story is the same
today in Nigeria, though there is no accurate data of small scale business failure.
Marketing
problems such as sales growth, profitability, number of customers, market
share, competition, consumer
cum buyer behaviour
changes and government policies
among others have been identified as some of the basic marketing problems of
small scale businesses (Iwok 2007). Marketing functions need somebody who has adequate marketing; unfortunately,
most of the small ness owners often overlook the necessity of employing
marketing personnel lit day they are faced with series of problems which has
reduced their chance of market performance.
This research project is therefore focused on the market performance aspect of
these problems.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this
study is to examine the analysis of marketing performance of small-scale
business enterprises in Abia State.
However, specific objectives of
this study are to:
i) determine
the effect of sales volume on the marketing performance of small
scale businesses.
ii) determine
the effect of profitability on the marketing performance of small scale
business enterprises.
iii) determine
the effect of the customer satisfaction on the marketing performance
of small scale business enterprises.
iv) determine
viable strategies for addressing marketing problems of small
scale business enterprises especially, in Abia State.
1.4 Research Questions
To realize the objectives of
this study, the following research, questions will be used;
i) What
are the effect of sales volume on the marketing performance of small
businesses?
ii) What are the effect of profitability in the marketing performance of small scale
enterprises?
iii) What
are the effect of the customer satisfaction on the marketing performance of
scale business enterprises?
iv) What
are the viable strategies for addressing marketing problems of small scale
business enterprises especially, in Abia State?
1.5 Statement of Hypothesis
H0: There is no significant
relationship between the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents and
the market performance of Small scale business enterprises in Abia State.
H01: There is no significant relationship, between customer
satisfaction, sales time,
price and profitability of small scale enterprises in Abia state.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The outcome of the study will help
the government, policy makers and financial intermediaries on the contribution
of marketing performance towards entrepreneurship. Besides, the findings
would be useful
to advocates of entrepreneurship who can
rely on it to
make a case
of productivity for
entrepreneurship to improve their business. Furthermore, the study will help
other stakeholders particularly small and medium enterprises development
agencies of Nigeria in reviewing their policies towards entrepreneurship in
order to achieve efficiency and offer value added financial services.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The
research work will focus on the analysis of marketing performance of small
scale enterprises.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
The study was designed to appraise
the accounting problems of small scale of some selected small-scale enterprises
in Abia State. However, due to and time constraints it was limited to only
three small-scale enterprises. Another limiting factor is the apparent lack of
information in this area of study because most of the works done in small scale
business problems are not related to aspects of marketing problem but to other
areas. This the date used for this study was to be gotten directly from the
small scale business practitioners,
entrepreneurs and other related organizations but they were not easy to come
by.
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