Abstract
The paper demonstrates that inventive business approaches to marketing can enhance business growth. It is based on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) using the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to improve marketing through value engineering (VE) to increase business benefits while lowering costs. Nineteen (19) socially responsible small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in the West Rand area of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the years 2011 to 2014 were investigated. The purpose of the original study was to evaluate how social responsibility was related to the SMEs marketing endeavour to increase business benefits, lower costs and provide sustainable growth, among other benefits. The SME owners were sampled through purposive sampling. The study showed that social responsibility initiatives translated to word-of-mouth marketing. There were no monetary costs incurred, the SMEs gained some competitive advantage, business sustainability and enhanced profitability of the companies. The results cannot be generalised, but possibilities of benchmarks exist in the study findings. Business growth and increased profits are economic factors. Hence, the study is one method for enhancing and improving the economy.
