| Make time to draft your marketing plan. We live in a | | | | By developing a marketing plan you will have to decide |
| busy world and finding enough time for everything, if | | | | on how and where you are going to undertake |
| you are running your own business, becomes a real | | | | marketing activities. Think about money, time, and any |
| challenge. If it is a small or home based business, | | | | other resources you will need to carry out your |
| where you don't have much back up in the way of | | | | marketing objectives before you take action. This |
| competent staff, then running and marketing your | | | | ensures that you do not over spend your budget. |
| business becomes a blur of confusion. | | | | 4. Plan when and where to begin your marketing |
| When the days become busy is when you really need | | | | tactics. |
| a well researched plan to follow. This relieves any | | | | A marketing plan will outline details about when you |
| unnecessary 'spur of the moment' trial and errors that | | | | initiate your marketing objectives and tactics. Most |
| you will regret later. | | | | businesses have cycles when there are busy cycles |
| There is a return on your investment for making time | | | | and slow down periods. While drafting your plan you |
| to draft a marketing plan. Here are five reasons that | | | | will decide if you want to increase your marketing |
| will get you started. | | | | activities to generate sales in quiet periods? You will |
| 1. Compels you to think about your business. | | | | also have thought about if you would be able to handle |
| The biggest advantage is that it forces you to sit | | | | the increased demand if you marketed aggressively |
| down and think about your business. What is your | | | | during busy periods? |
| current situation in regards to customers, marketing | | | | 5. You'll know what you want to achieve. |
| activities, and ROI? Who is your competition and is | | | | The marketing research you did for your small |
| there anything going on in the environment that can | | | | business marketing plan will ensure that you know the |
| change how you do business? What are your goals | | | | return on investment you expect your marketing |
| for the next week, month, and year? Without a plan | | | | activities to achieve. To analyze the actual campaigns |
| you will not know how to get from now to then. Begin | | | | you will put mechanisms in place to measure the |
| to understand what resources your small business will | | | | results against expectations. |
| need to meet those goals etc. | | | | The return on investment you will receive by drafting a |
| 2. Creates Organization. | | | | marketing plan is peace of mind about, and |
| The second advantage is that a small business | | | | organization of, marketing activities. You will have |
| marketing plan organizes all your marketing activities | | | | information that helps you make better decisions, you |
| you plan on using. This will eliminate those costly and | | | | will know your competition, business environment, your |
| ineffective last minute decisions. You know what you | | | | customers and potential customers, and you will |
| are going to do to market your business over a set | | | | increase your bottom line. Take the time to draft your |
| time frame. | | | | small business plan to save you time to run your |
| 3. Decide how and where to spend your marketing | | | | business and ensure that your business prospers. |
| dollars. | | | | |