Introduction -- Milestone 1: How well do you know yourself and your customers? -- Are you ready? business vision and the entrepreneur -- Developing a customer profile -- Determining customer lifetime value -- Milestone 2: Research on an entrepreneur's budget -- Turning data into knowledge -- Primary research: surveys get you to the source -- Improving the reliability of your data -- Milestone 3: Looking outward, then in -- Secondary research: what's happening in your world? -- Everybody's got options: competition, substitutes, and inertia -- What are you really good at doing? -- Milestone 4: seize the opportunities -- Identifying partnership strategies -- Breaking new ground -- Milestone 5: pick your tools: the marketing mix -- Building a brand: perception is reality -- Marketing in action -- The power of the web -- Milestone 6: Why entrepreneurs must know how to sell -- Personal selling skills -- Networking -- The elevator pitch -- Milestone 7: Relationship management -- The sales process: tips and strategies for success -- Managing your sales cycle -- Milestone 8: Turning your business vision into reality -- Laying the foundation for a marketing plan -- Passion as a strategy -- Conclusion.