If you are serious about succeeding at entrepreneurship in any form, then you must embrace marketing. Most small business owners have a great product/service, a lot of ambition and plenty of knowledge about servicing their customers. But, they have little or no knowledge of marketing.

What is it? It's a process whereby you do the same thing on a consistent basis over a period of time. This system will lessen your workload, increase your sales, generate new leads and save you money. Instead of putting together the dreaded "marketing campaign" on major holidays or for special events, you will be marketing all year long.

The best thing about marketing success by the numbers is that it gives you a workable plan to stay on solid footing. That way, you don't have to market in panic mode, eg, "If this campaign doesn't work, then I might have to close shop."

When you start marketing on a consistent basis, you are constantly drawing new customers into your fold. So, the ups and downs of the economy will have less of an effect on your business.

What's the difference? Advertising usually refers to paid ads, spots, campaigns, etc. Marketing is all of the ways you get the word out about your business — paid or unpaid. Handing out flyers is marketing. Placing a classified ad in the newspaper is advertising.

Marketing success by the numbers includes paid and unpaid advertising. But, the paid methods are low-cost and you will be able to implement them immediately. All of the marketing ideas discussed are either free or cost less than $200. Some are $10/month.

Most small businesses market out of a sense of hopeful desperation, ie, sales are slow, so let's "advertise." You put all of your eggs in one basket and it almost never works out the way you hope. This, "shotgun marketing" — rarely, if ever, works. You need a consistent plan.

Which would you rather do: send out 1,000 postcards at once, or send out 10 a day, every day? Consistency and time are all you need as far as marketing to grow a business. It doesn't matter what your business is, if you market consistently over a period of time, your business will grow!

Did you know that getting rich is simple? Not easy, simple. The same goes for losing weight, getting into shape, becoming a better, writer, runner, speaker, teacher, etc. Practice and time — that's all it takes to become a better "whatever."

The problem most small business owners have is impatience and sheer frustration that the business "was just not working." Rarely is that the case. The truth is, you probably haven't prepared for the long haul.

Remember, in business, the first few years, you are usually just greasing the pipes. After that, you shouldn't have to work so hard for every sale.

Look at it this way, just because you send out 5,000 flyers does not mean that customers are going to start banging on your door. Especially when you consider that most buyers have to see your message 7 to 28 times (depending on which source you read) before they will act. It's called building name [brand] recognition — and equally as important, trust.

After this, you have to wait until your customer has a need/desire for your product or service. Then, you have to be in the right price range.

In essence, you have to wait for all of these factors to align before a sale can take place. Seems like a long time? It's really not.