| Business Week recently unveiled the 2008 Business | | | | isn't necessarily about offering consumers more |
| Week 50, the magazine's annual ranking of top | | | | choices, but offering choices that are more |
| companies. | | | | convenient. As consumers battle rising inflation and an |
| An analysis of The BW 50 reveals one of an early | | | | uncertain economic future, "Time is Money" rings |
| marketing trend for 2008: Simplicity. | | | | truer than ever. |
| The rankings focus on two core financial measures: | | | | It's not just consumers, either. Small businesses are |
| average return on capital and growth BW compared | | | | fighting recessionary forces, putting a premium on |
| companies with others in their sectors to identify | | | | solutions that simplify operations. |
| companies that are the best performers relative to | | | | Nowhere is Small Business America's need for an |
| their peers. | | | | easier, more convenient option more obvious than |
| The #2 company, biotech firm Gilead, found a | | | | promoting their companies |
| market for drugs that were simpler and cheaper than | | | | Lack of access to marketing services puts smaller |
| standard HIV treatments. The result: Gilead profits | | | | companies at a competitive disadvantage. With |
| tripled since 2004. | | | | marketing budgets typically under $50,000, small and |
| Gilead wasn't the only one cashing in on simplicity. | | | | mid-size firms traditionally find themselves cobbling |
| Luxury handbag maker Coach simplified its handbags | | | | together a patchwork marketing effort: an in-house |
| and found a huge market for small ticket items. | | | | marketing guy for one piece, a freelancer for |
| Starbucks got back to basics by focusing on what it | | | | another, a do-it-yourself fix for another. |
| used to best: brewing a premium cup of coffee. | | | | Mr. and Mrs. Small Business are no strangers to |
| If you need further evidence that simplicity is king in | | | | complication. Government regulation is a perennial |
| 2008, look no further than Apple's Mac Air, the | | | | thorn in the side of America's entrepreneurs. Finding |
| ultra-slim laptop that has been the most buzzed | | | | capital is like a no-win game of Three-card Monte. |
| about new product since...of all things...Apple's iPhone | | | | The health care puzzle remains a mystery. |
| in summer 2007. | | | | The ability to reach out to customers easily and |
| All of this is in response to consumer demand for | | | | conveniently could be the make-or-break difference |
| greater convenience. | | | | for small and mid-size firms in 2008. With so much at |
| The lesson here is that less may be more in 2008. | | | | stake, "Simplify" may emerge as the most practical |
| Grabbing a bigger market share during a recession | | | | business advice of the year. |