New product development and entry process in a small firm: a case study

Abstract

The small firm shows particulars, as a resources limitation and informality, that contribute to the high failure rate in the new product entry. This article pretend, throughout a case study, reveal how is the new product development and entry process in a small firm, from the process developed by Mattar and Santos (2003). The results show that, in fact, some steps of the process, adjust to the reality of the big firms, subject to the particularities of the small business and conduct to process adaptation. Between the results, to be outstanding the fact of the process, on the small firm, departs from the customer necessities, be informal, tends to emphasize the operation and production, and suffered the resources limitation. These facts probably are link to the high failure rates and, even, to the high death rate of the small firms.