If you're a small business owner, you know that cash flow
is the number one killer of small and microbusinesses. We
owners are time-crunched, and the tasks we choose to do at
the beginning of a day rarely match up with the list of
things we actually did at the end of the day.
Considering this triple whammy, it's no surprise the idea
of marketing planning tends to get a big "Why bother?" out
of people.
One of our new clients, Fox Hill Remodeling in Nashua, NH,
has a lot going for it. They had a great year financially
and project-wise in 2007. They're about to launch a new
"3-Week Kitchen" concept that blows the doors off average
renovation project timeframes. And they'll be appearing at
five home shows this year, whereas in past years they only
did one.
They understand the importance of how marketing boosts a
business' success. But when it comes to marketing planning,
they raised a question we hear from a lot of other
businesses, too:
"Why should I spend money on a plan, when I could just
spend it on the marketing itself?"
That question touches all the core issues we flagged in
that first paragraph. Owners want to spend their money
wisely, they don't have time to waste, and they know what
happens to the best-laid plans of mice and men.
But...
Without a good solid plan in place to guide, track,
automate, and oversee the next 12 months of your marketing
efforts, how will you make sure:
* The money you spend on one-off marketing efforts serves
the Big Picture success of your business?
* You've got something - more sales, more clients, more
revenue, a better reputation, more respect in your field or
community, increased brand awareness, etc. - to show for
your marketing efforts and investments?
* Your business has a stronger, more consistent and more
solid foundation, online and off?
* You've increased ways and incentives for people to "take
the next step" with you - whether that means spending
money, investing time and energy, recommending you to their
friends and associates, or simply thinking of you next time
they need your particular product, service, or expertise?
* You stay competitive, creative, focused, and realistic
about what you can do with the budget and resources you
have?
The simple answer? You can't, and you won't.
Ouch. Not good, for your business OR your bottom line.
Still, when cash flow is everything, it's hard to justify
spending thousands of dollars just to have someone give you
yet another to-do list you:
a) Can't see the value of
b) Don't think you have the time, money, or resources to
implement, or
c) Fear won't produce results
More than anything, then, you need to know what separates a
waste-of-time marketing plan from a customized, focused,
professionally-crafted marketing plan designed specifically
around your business's short and long term success.
A customized, focused, professionally-crafted marketing
plan:
* Begins with your end goals in mind.
* Develops everything around your core message, mission,
and vision.
* Aims to communicate with your distinct target market,
using their language, solving their unique problems, and
highlighting the benefits only you can deliver to them.
* Makes the most of your marketing budget, helping you
track the impact and effectiveness of marketing campaigns
and outreach efforts.
* Is solid enough to weather any storms, yet flexible
enough to seize opportunities when they come along.
* Delivers results.(!)
Odds are, you wouldn't trust a home builder who chucked a
bunch of wood and nails in a pile and told you he could
build your dream home from scratch based on nothing but
whims and instincts. Why, then, do so many business owners
trust their reputations, growth, and revenue-generating
opportunities to accidental marketing?
While there may not be any guarantees in life - especially
when it comes to marketing - there are ways to
exponentially increase the chances of quantifiable,
measurable success with the right strategic plan in place.
So, if you've never before invested in a plan to streamline
your marketing, boost your bottom line, rev-up your
reputation, and produce measurable results, this would be a
great time to give it a try.
After all, what do you have to lose except the nagging
feeling that you could've done better this year and the
years to follow, if only you had set a plan in place to
make it happen?
----------------------------------------------------
(c) 2008 Epiphanies, Inc. As the "Content Lovers" of
Epiphanies Inc., Lani & Allen Voivod help lifestyle
entrepreneurs and million-dollar businesses "A-Ha
Themselves" in fun and profitable ways. For FREE articles,
marketing tips, and content strategies designed to fire up
your passion and profit-ize your niche, sign up for their
"Inciter" ezine at http://www.EpiphaniesInc.com !
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