Believing in your product is not enough - you need to market it well. Margaret Harris speaks to a business which keeps on getting it right

Frustration was the reason brothers Justin and David Letschert bought their company, Union-Swiss, 10 years ago.

They had been running a specialist mergers and acquisitions boutique serving the pharmaceutical and personal-care industries, when the then-owner of Union-Swiss approached them to find a buyer. "We bought Union Swiss out of frustration," says Justin. "We had spent a lot of time on the deal and when the owner would not accept any of the piecemeal offers on the table, we decided to buy it ourselves and try our hand as brand owners."

And the decision appears to have paid off nicely. The brothers have increased sales from R5-million when they took over, to more than R1-billion in 2008.

Not that it has been all plain sailing. David says they first had to raise the money to pay for the company, which the owner would only sell "lock, stock and barrel".

"Once we took ownership, there was a lot of cleaning up to do, which was always going to be tough, but we made a plan," he says, adding: "Nothing like a bit pressure and no cash to keep the mind focused on the task at hand."

They did have the advantage of buying a going concern, so did not have the challenges of a start- up. David says: "We bought an existing business, so there were a couple of months of planning and raising the money, and then the big dive into the deep end. Self-belief played the biggest part."

Today the company's signature brand, Bio-Oil, which is used on scars and stretchmarks, is available in 22 countries across five continents. In 20 of these countries, it is the bestselling product in its category.

The brothers believe in the product, and are convinced the quality of the oil was responsible for the businesses' success. "We figured out how to communicate that product before we started our global roll-out," says Justin.

Don't confuse marketing with advertising

Justin Letschert, co-owner of Union-Swiss, believes telling people about his brand is its lifeblood. "Communicating our brand is integral to our business. With Bio-Oil, we underpromise and over-deliver. We use consumer testimonials to tell the story and we talk to the human heart, which is the same the world over."

Wendy van Schalkwyk, executive director at Maya & Sox, agrees that companies have to keep putting the word out about their products. "Marketing is crucial. Taking the time to research and understand the market need for your product or service before opening your business is, in fact, the solution."

Money is not everything

For many small businesses, the marketing budget, if it exists, is tiny. Many cannot afford to place even the smallest ad in the media. However, Kate McCarthy, executive director at Maya & Sox, says many people confuse marketing with advertising. "Marketing your business effectively does not need to entail any paid-for media space. The principles of thought leadership and establishing your company as a credible authority in your industry mean that it is important to send out a constant drip-feed of information to your target market. This information should be relevant, topical, accurate and interesting. It is said that the average consumer needs to see or hear the same message seven times before it penetrates their subconscious mind."

However, marketing need not begin and end in the media. "Marketing encompasses everything from your people to your product, the price to your promotions and your media publicity. These all create a brand experience and become your value proposition. If you have a great product, but your staff behaviour is not good, then you stand to lose customers and struggle to retain good ones," says Wendy.

The right attitude

While big corporations generally have a whole department dedicated to marketing, small businesses invariably have one or two people who multitask. How do the Jacks of all trades get a handle on marketing? Kate believes that the right attitude can help and even count for more than formal training. "Many of the world's most successful entrepreneurs were high school drop-outs. Furthermore, in a small business, the one thing you learn to do quickly is become an overnight expert in many different fields. It is not necessary to have a formal marketing background, but a basic understanding of the principles of marketing is helpful. There are plenty of resources available to small business owners, including the Internet, seminars, training courses, business mentors and advice from other business owners. Make use of all of these to understand the basics and then add your own flair and enthusiasm," she suggests.

Whatever route you choose to take, be sure you maintain contact with your existing and future clients.

Top 10 tips for entrepreneurs

By Kate McCarthy and Wendy Van Schalkwyk, executive directors of reputation managers Maya & Sox

1. Always know what makes your business unique. The phrase "unique selling proposition" may be over-used, but you need to know what sets you apart from your competitors.

2. Live your brand - potential customers will buy into you and your values.

3. Always do what you say you will do. People will remember this and come back.

4. Don't splash out on marketing you cannot afford, such as expensive advertising. Rather look for more creative ways of engaging with your target market.

5. Ensure that the messages your company sends out (via press releases, adverts, advertorials, tender documents, conversations with clients, etc) are consistent and reflect the values of your company.

6. Always tackle a crisis or issue head-on before it escalates. Customers will vote with their feet if they don't feel that you have adequately addressed a problem or concern. Bearing in mind that it is much more difficult to attract new customers than to retain existing ones, don't forget to market your company to your existing customer base. Addressing their concerns is a large part of this.

7. Don't oversell your business at the start-up stage - it could ruin you reputation in the long run.

8. Keep focus and prioritise how and where you spend your energy.

9. Be different. Companies are always looking for new and creative talent that can think laterally or bring something fresh to the team.

10. And, finally, network, network and network!