Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses: Applications of Expectations/Performance Gaps

Service businesses have been especially attractive as small businesses. Researchers and practitioners agree that service quality involves a comparison of perceptions of performance and expectations prior to consuming the service. A simple technique is illustrated that may be used to capture the essence of the "expected" versus "actual" quality gap that frequently exists in services and appears to be overlooked in establishing small service business strategies. Establishment of a particular marketing strategy that was developed in an SBI case as a consequence of this approach is discussed.