Is your business B2C or B2B? No, the aliens haven’t landed (yet). If you haven’t come across these terms before, they’re a short form way of characterising a business and its customers. A B2C business caters primarily to consumers while a B2B business caters to other businesses. It turns out the two types of customers behave in different ways. This table sets out key differences.

Of course there are grey areas - consumers as well as businesses use office supply companies. A cleaning business can service offices as well as cleaning private homes.

How is this helpful? Customers of B2C and B2B businesses make their purchasing decisions differently and are influenced by different factors. That should influence marketing positioning and message. B2C businesses gear towards a shorter buying cycle, though they court repeat business. A B2B business will focus on building trust built over time as a B2B relationship will often be a longer term affair (so to speak) than a B2C relationship. Where does your business fit?