Business

What are you doing that's different?

That was a question put to a thousand businessmen/women at a seminar run by the Marketing VP of Disney many years ago. I have never forgotten that searching question.
And nothing has changed in all those years - if you are not doing something different, you will not succeed in business.
I can help you to determine if you have something unique or if you are targeting a unique market niche. I am offering a free one hour Business Consultation to review your business - contact me to register for this review.
Or go to my website: www.website-consultant.co.nz
Or see my Testimonials here

I can help you decide where you want your business to go and how we can get it there.
I have been preparing Business Plans for 30 years - check out the Testimonial on the left. It will cost you nothing but might just make you plenty as it has for many of my clients.
Think it is about time you had a Business Plan? See how - that is one of the articles on business here. It's not difficult and the results can be spectacular. Take the case of my client, Oceanbridge Shipping. Since starting Business Planning ten years ago, they have doubled in size and now are one of the biggest shipping companies in New Zealand.

The Ron Giles Business Plan Process

Develop a Marketing Plan

A Marketing Plan will have the following common elements:

Review of Economic Situation

Carry out a S.W.O.T. analysis – consider your:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

Growth Opportunities
From your SWOT analysis, you can make a list of opportunities where you can grow your business.

Measurable objectives

Having established viable growth opportunities, the next step is to set down your objectives. As detailed in the Financial Section, all objectives should be SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Action Plan

An Action Plan is then developed detailing who will do what by when.
This can be then entered in the individual’s diary/scheduler or whatever time management system is used. It should include trips, training, functions, reviews, meetings, etc.
The final plan should be feasible and attainable and acceptable to everyone involved.

Budget

From the Objectives costing and the Action Plan, you will now be able to work out a realistic financial budget for your business for the next 12 months. The addition of the budget to the Marketing Plan sees the completion of your Business Plan.

Strategic Planning

When your company grows to having several staff, you may need to plan further ahead than just one year. This is termed Strategic Planning and includes the following common elements:

Background of Company
Aims of Company
Mission Statement
Review of Strategy
Customer Analysis
Internal Analysis
External Analysis
Technology, Government, Economic issues

Sustainable competitive advantages:
Growth Opportunities

From that analysis, longer term (3-5 years) strategies can be developed. These are presented in the form:

Strategies

Example
Strategy 1

Objective: to gain $1,000,000 in sales to USA
Action:
• have a stand at the Los Angeles Trade Fair
• visit major prospects
• carry out a major direct marketing campaign
Timing: June - August, 2007
Responsibility: Tom & Jan
Estimated cost: $100,000

The list of strategies should be reviewed each year to see which have been successfully accomplished, which can be discarded and what new strategies are needed.

If you like the look of that Planning process, contact me