|
Supercharging Canada's Economic Engine: How Marketing Technology Helps SMBs Grow
Small businesses are the engine of our economy. In fact, 96% of all Canada's businesses are small or medium-sized. So why are so many of them stuck in the dark ages when it comes to marketing their business? Why, in one of the most Internet-friendly countries on the planet, is "word of mouth" still the primary marketing tool for 74% of small businesses, as noted in a new survey by Intuit Canada and Ipsos Reid?
Join Intuit Canada's vice president of marketing Stephen King as he looks at the ways Canadian small and medium-sized businesses can up the ante by leveraging readily available technology and focusing on their core business instead of getting bogged down by time-consuming administrative work and out-of-date communications strategies. Mr. King will provide original data on how SMBs are succeeding, what the major hurdles for BC-based businesses are, and how they will succeed in 2007 and beyond.
As a former successful start-up owner and current senior executive at one of Canada's largest software companies, Mr. King will discuss how and why Canadian SMBs have failed to successfully market themselves, and will offer effective social marketing and networking techniques to boost business.
ABOUT STEPHEN KING
After graduating from Acadia University in 1985 with a degree in computer science, Stephen King commenced what continues to be a remarkable career in the tax and financial software industry. From 1988 to 1995, Stephen held the position of vice president of CanTax, following which he co-founded Greenpoint Software. In the fall of 2000, Greenpoint Software was acquired by Intuit Canada, a division of Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU). Stephen was President of the Intuit Greenpoint Professional Accounting Solutions (PAS) division from 2002 through 2005. In his current role at Intuit Canada as Vice President, sales & marketing, Stephen directs marketing and P.R. efforts across all the product lines and sales channels for consumers (QuickTax, Quicken), small businesses (QuickBooks) and accounting & bookkeeping professionals (ProFile, ProAdvisor). Visit www.intuit.ca for more information. Stephen is also a Director of Intuit Inc.
Having filled a variety of critical roles in software firms of all sizes, both public and private, Stephen spends his spare time in pursuit of excitement of a different kind: he plays guitar in the band "Stephen King and The Dirge" (www.opticfrog.com), loves snowboarding and spends quality time with his young daughter.
ABOUT INTUIT CANADA
After more than 20 years, Intuit continues to transform business and financial management for small businesses, accounting professionals and consumers. The company's mission is to create new ways to manage personal finances and small businesses that are so profound and simple, customers cannot imagine going back to the old way.
Intuit's "Right for My Business" strategy for small business customers delivers specially designed, industry-specific business management solutions, and develops accounting solutions for bigger, more complex businesses. Intuit also offers a broad array of tools to help businesses process payroll, manage employees, administer benefit programs and offer retirement plans. What began as small business accounting with QuickBooks® software is now a more comprehensive set of seamless services that go beyond accounting to help small businesses manage other aspects of their operation.
Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of more than $2 billion in its fiscal year 2005. The company has nearly 7,000 employees with major offices in Canada, U.S., and the United Kingdom.
www.intuit.ca
|
