Abstract:

Successful enterprises within the whole SME structure are characterized by their high rate of flexibility. This fact forms the strength of SME's with regard to big companies. Flexibility is shown at its utmost in the ability to react effectively on sometimes very specific and profitable share-markets. Changes in environment, which are influential for the profitability occur quite often. In strong enterprises these changes will be signalled quickly and they will equally fast lead to new methods and techniques and/or new products and services. Inventiveness, a strong motivation of the entrepreneur and his employees, combined with short communication lines (both internally and externally) are the keystones for success. It would be interesting to exchange views about inventiveness and motivation, however, this is not the subject of this exposition. We will talk about supply of information. The emphasis thereby will be focused on market-information. Not the benefit or the possibilities of new techniques and media will be dealt with in the first place. We will tell something about the handling of information as it happens in practice and the possible influence of new resources. In connection with this it shall be traced whether and in what way SME's are an interesting market for market researchers.