How to Write a Startup Business Plan

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

Your startup business plan is a roadmap that will guide your company to where you want to go.

How to write a startup business plan?

For a startup business, creating a business plan is like creating a game plan in sports. You need to scout out all the information to create a winning strategy for the game. While business plans for existing companies may have a special focus, such as setting overall goals, reviewing specific operations, evaluating new products, assessing new technology in the industry, or some other specific purpose, the business plan for a startup company is the blueprint for its formation, its operation, and its success. A business plan exposes a new company’s strengths and weaknesses. It reveals ways to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses, uncovers every facet of the business that can be developed, and points to the best method for that development. It provides a structure for the company’s pursuit of the winner’s trophy. Continue reading →

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How Successful is Your ‘Hope’ Strategy? The Importance of Business Marketing Plans

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

In order to succeed and be one of the top performer in today’s ‘new media world’ you will need to keep your business marketing plans up to date.

Business marketing plans_bloggingThe Importance of Business Marketing Plans

There’s a well-known marketer, Rick Page who wrote a book called “Hope is not a strategy”. You can’t just pick any old marketing strategy and “hope” that it will work. Trust me, I’ve tried it and I’m still waiting for it to work. If I’d had put as much energy into a real marketing plan, as I did the “hope marketing plan” then I’d be a billionaire. It’s a waste of energy. Put hope to one side if you can’t ditch it altogether.  You’ll need to put together a detailed marketing plan where you lay out your arsenal of weapons for meeting your business blogging goals. Continue reading →

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Winning in Business: 7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business Succeeds

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

“The art of winning in business is in working hard – not taking things too seriously.” Albert Green Hubbard

Winnin In Business_7 Ways

Today I would like to share with you an interesting article that was posted recently on the Entrepreneur website. It’s a very informative article written by Donald Todrin – author of ‘Successfully Navigating the Downturn’. Enjoy it!

The darkest days of the Great Recession are over, so we are told, but I’m finding that sales have increased only slightly for some small-business owners, while revenue remains deeply depressed for many. While some customers are loosening up their wallets a little, it is clear purchasing habits have changed.

Deep economic changes have occurred, and business will never be the same.

What does winning in business require nowadays?

Entrepreneurs – whether they’re an unemployed person striking out on their own or a seasoned veteran trying to get the mojo back again – must do things differently in order to survive. Everyone must change, especially small-business owners.

Luckily, what have not changed are the business fundamentals, those management traits that successful entrepreneurs almost all possess: tenacity, commitment and vision, and basic business skills.

New strategies are required, however, strategies designed to work in a changing business climate. Continue reading →

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Marketing Strategy Plan: 14 Keys to an Effective Marketing Plan

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

Marketing Strategy Plan_14 key elementsMany small businesses lack a strong marketing strategy plan. Why should businesses have marketing plans? What’s so special about having a strategic planning model in marketing?

“Behind every great company there is a great marketing plan” according to Dave Lavinsky from Growthink.

Lavinsky has highlighted 14 key elements that, once fully addressed in a marketing plan, can “skyrocket” sales and “dominate the competition”.

Key Elements of a Marketing Strategy Plan: Elements 1-7

1. Target Market/Target Customers

According to Lavinsky it is important to start by defining the target customer in as much detail as possible. “Your marketing plan must start with a detailed summary of who your target customers are and what their wants and needs are. Without this understanding, you can’t speak directly to your customers,” Lavinsky said. Continue reading →

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Insights in Marketing: Are You Sabotaging Your Marketing Success?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

Are you desperately looking for some new insights in marketing? Are YOU sabotaging your marketing success?

Insights in Marketing_Are you sabotaging your success

What?!? Sabotage your own success? Who would do that? Well, you’d be surprised how many small business owners think they are effectively marketing their business, when in fact they are cutting their own throat.

Insights in Marketing

Yes, they may be running ads that are pulling in leads or customers. And yes, they may be writing a regular column for their local newspaper so they are perceived as the expert in their industry. And yes, they may even be doing a pretty good job of marketing on a regular basis to their prospect list.

So if they are doing all of these things “right,” how are they sabotaging their success? Well there are lots of ways. Following are just a few of the ways small business owners unknowingly sabotage their own success. Continue reading →

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B2B Companies Need to Give Their Marketing Strategy Plan a Facelift

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

The four Ps of a Marketing Strategy Plan — Product, Place, Price, and Promotion — are out of date for today’s B2B companies.

Marketing Strategy Plan_4 P's are out

The following article is mind-blowing! It unveils a new perspective on Marketing and Business. The new Marketing-Era requires a different approach. I’m not saying the old stuff doesn’t work any longer – what I’m saying is we have to consider the widespread consumer adoption of technologies, and apply new ways of thinking when it comes to designing a strong marketing strategy plan.

“These marketing mix fundamentals no longer serve today’s B2B companies,” says Lisa Nirell, president of EnergizeGrowth® LLC, who consults with B2B market leaders such as BMC Software, Adobe, Sony, and IBM. She has created a strategic plan for business that includes the four Ms — Market, Message, Method and Mindset. Continue reading →

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Marketing Strategy Plan: What Is Marketing Audit?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

What is marketing audit

What is marketing audit? This is an examination of the process of making and updating a marketing strategy plan and a review of target achievement.

 

 

Marketing Strategy Plan: What Is Marketing Audit?

The audit has two parts:

1. Examination of the planning process and

2. Review of the validity of the targets set by the plan.

The process review starts with questions related to planning for marketing as a function. Some enterprises may not have a document or a formal process at all. Others may focus on financial service and gloss over marketing in a cursory manner. The auditor should counsel clients to invest in a formal and documented planning process and to give marketing its due importance. Continue reading →

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Do You Make These Mistakes When Negotiating? Three Highly Effective Strategies Of Negotiation

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

Strategies of negotiationHow to win a negotiation? Strategies of negotiation: In business you need to have an objective in mind before you start negotiating. State the Win-Win intention upfront and create a collaborate atmosphere from the beginning. Do you know the number one reason why people avoid negotiating? It’s fear, the fear of looking bad.

Do You Make These Mistakes When Negotiating? Three Highly Effective Strategies Of Negotiation

There are a lot of myths about sales and negotiating. I guess the two biggest ones are:

  • Negotiation is a talent that you’re born with.
  • To get what you want, you have to take away something.

If you watch children you will immediately notice that you face the best negotiators on the planet. How come we lose this ‘talent’ while growing up? Negotiation is a learnable skill. The more you practice it, the better you become. Continue reading →

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10 Strategies That Kill Companies and Careers

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

10 Strategies That Kill Companies and Careers

 

Kill CompaniesI found this remarkable article on CBS News a couple of days ago and decided to share the insights that kill companies and careers on our blog.

Looking forward to all your comments as I’m convinced there are quite a few interesting and challenging facts that hit one straight in the face when realizing it might happen with your own company as well. Enjoy the ride :)

10 Strategies That Kill Companies and Careers

Business strategy seems to confound and confuse people. I don’t know why. The concept is straightforward enough. Just answer the question: How are we going to accomplish our goal of market domination?

If you can present the answer to your management team, board, and shareholders with a straight face and they don’t laugh at you, you’re probably good to go, at least until it turns out to be remarkably flawed. And therein, lies the rub. The hard part, of course, is coming up with unique strategy that’s got a snowball’s chance in hell of actually succeeding in a brutally competitive global market. Continue reading →

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What People Find Most Challenging About Target Market Groups

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Krisz Rokk

What People Find Most Challenging About Target Market Groups

While searching for funny stories about marketing on YouTube I came across Riley. She is 3 years old and has a great point. Riley is totally upset regarding the way marketers divide target market groups when it comes to offering toys to boys and girls.

What People Find Most Challenging About Target Market Groups

Defining the right target market groups is a challenge for most marketers. Whether you are a corporate or a small busines you will encounter challenges when defining the right target audience for certain product portfolios.

I love Riley’s energy and her persistence in demanding a qualified answer to her question regarding ‘Superheros’ and ‘Princesses’ for boys and girls – the two different target market groups. Can you relate to Riley? Can you share a similar story?

Posted in HUMAN BEHAVIOR, MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY PLAN | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments