Marketing assistance needs of value-added agribusiness and forest products firms

Previous studies have researched the most important types of assistance needs of businesses, but few have examined how needs may differ across firm characteristics. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the domestic marketing assistance needs of value-added agribusiness and forest products firms. The first objective of the study was to ascertain the overall importance of various types of business assistance. Secondly, the objective was to evaluate the effects that future market growth, firm size, firm types, business experience, number of employees, total sales, and predicted growth of sales may have on the needs of assistance. The results of the study indicated that locating and identifying potential buyers was the most needed type of assistance, while compliance with product and/or shipping regulations was the least needed type of assistance. Agribusinesses with relatively a few years in business and agribusinesses with small number of employees are more likely to need assistance. Moderately sized agribusinesses are more likely to need assistance than small or large size agribusinesses. Looking at the forest products industry, firms without very much business experience and firms that expect their growth to be small are more inclined to need assistance than experienced firms. The forest products firms assistance needs are evenly distributed among the different sizes of firms, based on total sales, without any emphasis on small, moderately, or large size firms. Overall, the information from this study should prove useful in the targeting of assistance services to the types of firms that are in most need.