An important reminder for any new business owner: marketing can only succeed if time and energy are devoted to it regularly. Thomas Smith, a London based advertising executive put together the following list in 1885 to illustrate the point:

• The 1st time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it.
• The 2nd time, he does not notice it.
• The 3rd time, he is conscious of its existence.
• The 4th time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.
• The 5th time, he reads it.
• The 6th time, he turns up his nose at it.
• The 7th time, he reads it through and says “Oh Brother!”
• The 8th time, he says “Here’s that confounded thing again!”
• The 9th time, he wonders if it amounts to anything.
• The 10th time, he asks his neighbour if he has tried it.
• The 11th time, he wonders how the advertisers makes it pay.
• The 12th time, he thinks it must be a good thing.
• The 13th time, he thinks perhaps it might be worth something.
• The 14th time, he remembers wanting such a thing a long time ago.
• The 15th time, he is tantalized because he cannot afford to buy it.
• The 16th time, he thinks he will buy it some day.
• The 17th time, he makes a memorandum to buy it.
• The 18th time, he swears at his poverty.
• The 19th time, he counts his money.
• The 20th time he sees the advertisement, he buys what it is offering.

So once a proper strategy/marketing plan is developed, in order for it to be effective, the plan needs constant time and attention, for real success to be achieved.