Product marketing and sales in high-technology small firms

A major problem for many small firms is that technical entrepreneurs may well attempt, through a rapid ‘changing of hats’ to fill the role of chief researcher, production engineer, salesman and accountant, at relevant points in the product development cycle. Marketing was considered a valid topic of study for research concerned with the problems of innovation and growth in high-technology small firms, since marketing is a final integral part of the total innovation process. A possible cause of the unimpressive growth noted in high-technology small firms in the studies can be generally attributed to a high level of management introspection, also noted by other research into high technology small firm. The research team made no attempt to dictate the type of target market agreed, since the assisted firm was deemed most able to identify the best potential market in terms of cost-benefit.