ABSTRACT
This study examined marketing skills and promotion of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to analyze the effect of marketing skills of entrepreneurs on the promotion of SMEs in Benin City, Edo State, examine the impact of direct selling and use of middlemen on the promotion of SMEs in Benin City, Edo State, and ascertain the impact of advertising and sales promotion on the promotion of SMEs in Benin City, Edo State.
The survey research design which is the systematic gathering of information from respondents for the purpose of understanding and or predicting some aspect of the behavior of the population of interest was adopted. The responses from the questionnaire administered were analysed using descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis. The descriptive method described the demography of respondents using frequency and percentage. The linear regression (ANOVA) analysis was used to test the close relationship between the variables and also to test the hypotheses of the study. The analysis was conducted using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS 22) software. The findings from the study revealed that there is a positive and significant relationship between marketing skills and the promotion of SMEs in Nigeria, there is a positive and significant relationship between direct selling, use of middlemen and the promotion of SMEs in Nigeria, and that there is a positive and significant relationship between advertising, sales promotion and the promotion of SMEs in Nigeria.
The study then recommended that SMEs owners and managers should focus on improving entrepreneurship skills in order to improve the performance of small and medium scale enterprises thereby helping in economic growth and unemployment reduction as well as wealth maximization; entrepreneurs must be exposed to various sources of information and business opportunities available both in Nigeria and external environment. To achieve this, government agencies and research and development (R&D) organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations, and development partners should develop and organize business awareness workshops and disseminate information on investment opportunities available locally and internationally. These strategies will expose entrepreneurs to sources of raw materials, new and improved process technologies, domestic and foreign markets and other information necessary for business survival and growth; entrepreneurs should desire entrepreneurship training programs as measure for boosting business knowledge; good business practices, and enhances confidence and sense of empowerment among entrepreneur.
