Archive for March, 2008

The Marketing Plan - An Alternative Approach

Thursday, March 27th, 2008

A major part of any good business plan will be the marketing plan.
For some, the marketing plan - is the business plan.
Any way you look at it, your marketing plan deserves serious consideration.
The usual approach is to start with the product or service, and then think through the steps that you or your team will […]

Your Business Plan – The secret of getting “Buy-In”

Monday, March 17th, 2008

Three simple steps that will multiply your chances of success
If you are planning anything that’s worthwhile, it is almost certain that you will need the co-operation of others to succeed. The starting point of gaining this co-operation is getting “buy-in” from other participants or stakeholders.
“How do I get buy-in for this project, scheme or business […]

On Strategy and Tactics

Friday, March 14th, 2008

About 15 years ago, I had two different mentors teach me and coach me on the topics of Strategy and Tactics.
Each was knowledgeable, experienced and passionate, so I have developed a high interest and respect for these two success concepts.
I’m working on an article to succinctly describe what each is, how they differ and how […]

Writing a Business Plan - avoid this frustrating mistake

Monday, March 10th, 2008

Every month, I see abandoned attempts at business plans. Each one usually has a story attached to it…. and often it’s a story of frustration and disappointment.
But here’s what’s interesting… I estimate that in around 50% of cases, this frustration and disappointment was avoidable. Many of these plans could have been successful if they had […]

100 Day Plans

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

I have long been a fan of the 100 day plan. It’s a magic time frame. Long enough to get something worthwhile achieved, and short enough to keep the mind focused.
Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, penned a good blog post on this topic a few days ago.
He starts off:
“I am an optimist. I believe […]

Mark Twain on Business Plans

Thursday, March 6th, 2008

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”
Mark Twain

“Goals” and “Objectives”: Know the difference, get better results

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Most think of “Goals” and “Objectives” as being pretty much the same thing. However, if you want to convert creative ideas into concrete results, there is an important difference.
So that I can best demonstrate the difference, let me start with some definitions.
An “Objective” is a specific description of what is required to be achieved. They […]