In nearly every case, marketing failures are the result of trying to find complicated solutions to simple problems. As Abraham Maslow said, ‘if the only tool you have is a hammer, you’ll see every problem as a nail.’

I’ve lived and worked in five major U.S. cities and I have never seen a place that is so bent on making studies. If the wheel is reinvented, it’s likely to be done here in Kitsap, but only after a thorough ‘study’ to see if round or square is better.

For example, seven years ago the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council commissioned a two-part study for business incubators. A Seattle company did part one of the studies, to determine the financial realities of building a business incubator — a building.

We were hired after open competitive bidding to complete the second half of the study, to determine the marketing needs of a business incubator. After contract perambulations that defy any sense, we were told halfway through the project that our deliverables needed to be changed.

We pressed ahead, trying to comply, but nonetheless came to some conclusions.

Henry Ford, we said, managed to “incubate” his business in his garage and we don’t need to build and staff an incubator until we have businesses pounding on the doors needing full time incubator services. First, we need fertile eggs. (See Kitsap Business Journal May 8, 2000 and September 18, 1995).

We concluded that what Kitsap entrepreneurs needed was not a staffed incubator, but small business assistance. The SBA Small Business Assistance Center has lost its funding, so that much touted resource is gone.

We also concluded that the county’s economic development efforts should focus on providing assistance to entrepreneurs — local businesses of any size.

The EDC board never formally considered our study because they decided to spend the next eighteen months chasing a car called the Missouri.

Another study done and huge momentum lost.
Then a new study announcing that the EDC could only focus assistance to employers with ten or more employees, that entrepreurism does not result in ‘primary wage’ jobs.

If any study done in this country was more infuriating, it was the one that concluded we should abandon the small businesses because they do not measure up, even though thousands of us here ARE small businesses and consider ourselves primary wage earners, i.e., we live on what we make and pay the majority of the taxes in the county.

Now that it appears we cannot, in fact, compete with the thousands of other areas in the US that provide huge incentives to relocate a business, move or build a factory.

So now the KREDC is back, full circle, to discovering entrepreneurism and the value of small businesses. They recently sent two of their people to a conference, to, yes, study the issue. They sent people to study nearby entrepreneur centers, but sent no entrepreneurs.

Let’s see if we can get in all into one short paragraph.

Small business is the lifeblood of Kitsap County. We want to create jobs here for our children, so they don’t have to move away. The best way to engender the growth of the businesses already here is to provide them with the highest levels of support, training, advice and financial assistance. We can do that with volunteers, and with entrepreneur infrastructure already in place (we don’t need a study).

Washington CASH, a non-profit organization, is currently assisting over 40 local people in their quest to become entrepreneurs. They have the infrastructure to guide someone with a business dream and make it a reality.

All CASH needs is support. Not another study, not someone patronizingly telling them they are not ‘primary wage’ businesses and therefore do not deserve attention.

If we mean what we say about economic diversification and entreprerurism, let’s finally quit studying the issues and roll up our sleeves and help the people who are ‘just doing it.’

Washington CASH: 698-4088.

(Editor’s Note: Bill Hoke provides marketing planning services through Hoke Consulting in Bremerton. He is the author of "Secrets From The Red Tool Box” and conducts workshops for his ‘90 Minute Marketing Plan.” He can be reached at 271-9448 or hoke@hokeconsulting.com.).