Volume 8, Issue 8, August – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 IJISRT23AUG1272 www.ijisrt.com 1208 Entrepreneurial Marketing and Business Sustainability of Shoe Making Firms in Rivers State Nigeria Ifekanandu Chukwudi Christian 1 University of Nigeria Business School, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria. Chukwu God’swill Chinedu 2* , Department of Marketing, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria. Kingsley Uyiosa Asemota 3, Department of Business Administration, Edo State Polytechnic, Benin City Edo State Nigeria Corresponding Author: Chukwu God’swill Chinedu 2* Abstract:- The study examined entrepreneurial marketing and business sustainability of shoe making firms in Rivers State. The objectives of the study was to determine the relationship between innovation and market share, and value creation and competiveness of shoe making firms in Rivers State. The study employed correlational research design. Correlational research design involves the collection of data in order to objectively determine the link between variables. The population of this study consisted of seventy (70) managers identified from fifty (50) registered shoe manufacturing firms in Rivers State. The sample size of thirty (30) were selected at random for the purpose of the study. Questionnaire was instrument of data collection. The reliability of the instrument was tested through SPSS Conbach’s Alpha and it stood at 0.97 higher than Nunnally's (1978) benchmark of 0.7. Pearson Product Moment Correlations was employed to analyze the hypotheses with the aid of SPSS analytical tool version 22. Findings of the study revealed a strong relationship between dimensions of entrepreneurial marketing and the dimensions of business sustainability. The study concluded that entrepreneurship marketing uses innovative ways to improve consumers perception by providing new goods, services, or methods that reduce detrimental activities while also generating profits for the entrepreneur. Based on the conclusion the study recommended that entrepreneurial managers’ should always come up with new innovations because innovation drives manufacturing activities; it enables a firm to compete favourably in its industry and increase its sales volume. Entrepreneurial managers’ should always learn to discover new sources of customer value and create unique combinations of resources to produce value. Shoe manufacturing managers should always fine-tune untapped sources of customer value and create superior value for customers. Keywords:- Entrepreneurial Marketing; Business Sustainability; Innovation; Value Creation; Competitiveness; Market Share. I. INTRODUCTION In a world of business, competitions are inevitable; competitions are major determinant of business success or failure. With competition, a company is faced with various opportunities and threats both internally and externally. For this reason, every company is required to understand the changes in the market space par time, what the consumers want (preferences), the changes in the business environment in other to gain competitive edge over rival companies. Therefore, a company must strive to minimize its weaknesses and maximize its strengths. As well as choose and establish an appropriate marketing strategies that can stand them out in the face of competition. Companies with services that are below consumer expectations clearly experience competitive losses, where consumers will switch and look for other alternatives. If the company wants to gain competitive edge and market share must exceed the expectations of the consumers. Good services can increase consumer loyalty to the point where consumers will survive and not look at alternative options from other companies (Parasuraman, 2005). Business sustainability is linked to the capacity to innovate. Firm’s performance in a competitive setting is heavily dependent on their ability to innovate. Sustainability in business refers to a company's strategy to reduce negative environmental impact resulting from their operations in a particular market. A significant change, such as the production of a product or service that is superior to the initial state demonstrates the efficacy of an entrepreneurial marketing to the sustainability of a business]. The capacity to innovate inspires a firm to continue to provide new things (particularly to consumers), compete favourably, and be more sustainable in their company operations. A firm will survive and thrive if it operates innovative entrepreneurial marketing practices. Therefore, firms use the entrepreneurial marketing to increase market share and retain customers.