Rise and Shine: Sunrise Bed and Breakfast Dr Kamal Ghose, Lincoln University, New Zealand In recent years smalo-medium enterprise (SMEs) have been regarded as important con, tributors to national economies, and as sources of growth, employment and competitiveness? This ease study shows some of the positive and negative aspects of an SME developing a marketing strategy (On the positive side, characteristics of SMEs that support the development of a market- ing strategy include the following. + Marketing may come as second nature to SMEs, as they are usually customer-oriented.* + SMEs are driven by the customer, so are generally willing to make changes in order reach sales figur + SMEs have been found to have informal structures, which may tend to make them more innovative and creative ‘The above throe characteristics appear to help SMEs to become more competitive in today’s highly dynamic business environment.® (On the negative side are the following characteristics. + SMEs have been described as having fewer resources than larger firms, where ‘re sources’ are defined as those tangible and intangible assets attached semi-permanently to the firm.” + SMEs are generally managed by a team of generalists.* + SMEs tend to be more reactive than proactive in the marketplace ® + SMEs understand that they lack the greater reputation, credibility and stability of lr companies.” THE SUNRISE STORY 396 who had lived This is the story of Kamal and Ell, an entrepreneur couple of Indian o} and worked in Christchurch, New Zealand, before moving to Whyalla in South Aus lla isa baker by trade who retrained as a home-based childcare worker in South Austral while Kamal was head of the Business School at the University of South Australia’ Whyalla campus. The couple decided to follow their dream of opening a bed-and-breakfast (B&B) business in Christchurch, and moved back to the green South Island tourist paradise in late 2004, where Kamal secured a teaching job at the local university. Having stayed at many B&Bs around the world, they were keen to offer vistors a great experience at@ be called Sunrise Bed and Breakfast.