"Almost two-thirds of small business owners say they do not seek external marketing help."

What I find particularly interesting about this quote are the words "do not seek." One can only presume from this that a clear majority of business owners do not consider outsourcing marketing support to even be a reasonable option. Of course, there may be a variety of reasons for this, just as there are a number of reasons why a like number of businesses do not succeed.

This is not to suggest there always is a link between business failure and Marketing Outsource Reluctance (MOR). Indeed, however, that there can be a link is a fact not to be denied out of hand by any reasonable person. This assertion is made by yours truly on the case-proven correlation between business failure and ineffective marketing.

Over the past 32.5 years (but, who's counting?) we have seen innumerable companies (those with a good products/services mix) struggling needlessly when their only weak link, it was evident, was marketing. Of course, in other instances, there were other internal deficiencies that could have been overcome through other appropriate outsource avenues (sales training, financial management, etc.).

That said, let's examine – point vs. counterpoint – some of the reasons for MOR: "It's too expensive." This argument is akin to insisting that eating out, or buying a new car are too expensive, with neither an examination of the available alternatives nor the consequences of not doing so in mind. Suffice it to say that shopping for a source that is a good fit for your business can spell the difference between a budget buster and a business breakthrough.

"I don't know where to start." Here are a few suggestions. a) Look for examples of good marketing in your locale or field, and seek-out the source b) Ask for referrals from friends and associates c) Interview those within one of your networks, or the membership directories of representative business groups d) Consult online sources such as Google.

"I don't know what I should be prepared to pay." Use interviews to gain a comfort level with one or more vendors and use these to create an idea of expectations vs. costs. Remember to pay heed to the fact that often – though not always -- there is a price/value relationship. Need I add that in today's tough economy -- just as is the case with real estate, automobiles and other purchases of goods and services, it's a shopper's market out there?

"We have adequate in-house capabilities." Are you sure? Steering away from these embedded resources can be a touchy pursuit, especially when there are friends, relatives or other corporate "sacred cows" serving in the in-house function. But an objective evaluation is worth the bother.When possible, it is wise to gain the perspective of another trusted opinion in making the decision to make a change from your current inside source.

"I don't know enough about contemporary marketing to make an informed decision." This may well be true and, commonly, it is. With the advent of search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc., as well as a plethora of subject-specific how-to books this no longer is a valid excuse. After all, if people can use sources like Web MD to, quite adequately (in many cases) supplement professional diagnosis of a medical condition, why can't you do the same for your internal business-malady?

Take a good, hard look at your current sources – including, even, external vendors. Be as objective as possible. If the products and services you offer should be faring better in the marketplace, then chances are excellent that there are other causes for under performance. Most often these are personnel issues that could be solved through importing talented "hired guns."