Marketing is your most important organizing tool. There are four basic aspects of marketing, often called the four Ps:

• Product: The item or service you sell.
• Price: The amount you charge for your product or service.
• Promote: The ways you inform your market as to who, what, and where you are.
• Provide: The channels you use to take the product to the customer.

As you can see, marketing encompasses much more than just advertising or selling. For example, a major part of marketing involves researching your customers: What do they want? What can they afford? What do they think? Your understanding and application of the answers to such questions play a major role in the success or failure of your business.