Marketing in supported employment enterprises – Part II: The national survey results

Supported Employment Enterprises (SEEs) are a unique sector of small and medium-sized enterprises that provide meaningful, gainful employment, training and development opportunities for people with a disability. SEEs are run specifically to provide employment but are also commercial enterprises trading with other businesses. Many of these SEEs are not profitable and work under severe financial and operational constraints despite help from local authorities and the Supported Employment Procurement and Consultancy Service (SEPACS). This paper examines the effectiveness of the marketing strategies, plans and tactics of SEEs. The methodology used a national survey questionnaire sent to 96 SEEs listed in a directory of products and services produced by the Employment Service. The response rate was 45 per cent. The results showed that there is a general weakness of marketing strategies and plans in these organisations and highlighted the dysfunctional impact of local authority policies and practices. Marketing mix techniques were generally well understood by most SEEs managers