I can almost hear a simultaneous groan at the idea of a Business Plan. One long document, that you poor your heart and soul into, never to be looked at again.
The good news is – a business plan doesn’t have to be such a task. The bad news is – you absolutely need one.
Why?
How can you set your marketing objectives, without the overarching business goals? Put simply, you can’t. Your marketing will lack strategy, effectiveness and as a result your budget will be evaporated before your very eyes.
So here’s the good news, you can quickly and easily achieve a business plan without the need to spend too much time away from your business. Follow these quick and easy steps to achieving a succinct business plan, which can then flow into your marketing plan.
How?
Keep it simple – aim for one page. But make that page count. Think about the answers to the following questions and be as succinct as possible. If it’s too complicated to you, then it is too complicated to your customer.
- What problem do you solve for your customer? Essentially this means – why are you in the business you are in?
- What sets you apart? What are you doing differently to others in your market. (see my webinar about positioning to help you with this)
- What resources can you allocate to your business (consider the money you have in the bank or investor options, and the people you require, whether that’s in-house staff or outsourcing – determine your needs and budget.
- Your Goals – Table up your short term goals (3, 6, 12months) and your long term goals (2 and 5 years if you can extend to 5). Make them realistic and measurable.
- Your Marketing Strategy – top key points about who your customer is, what your competitive landscape looks like, and key points about your market.
Make that as succinct as possible and there you have a good solid plan that can then lead into drilling down on your tactical marketing and where you will focus your efforts.
Once you’re happy with it – post it up in your office, share it with your team, whatever you need to do to help stay on your path of achieving what it is you set out to do!
If you require any help with your business planning and strategic positioning, please contact Marissa at JAM Advertising to work with you on this.