Need to make your Business Work? You Need a Strategy!

When writing your business plan or marketing plan, small business owners and new entrepreneurs tend to make the mistake of categorising their planning, HR; Admin; Finances etc.
Where well known, big branded companies see the planning process as a Whole.  This is the key point to remember. 

It is good to devide your strategy or planning into different sections, but always remember that each section or category must be linked to one another.  The idea behind a business plan or marketing plan is to apply your research to your reality which will help you predict possible situations so you can plan ahead to be prepared and not go banktrupt.

Small business owners or new entrepreneurs are driven by passion and vision, which in itself is a good thing.  But, you need planning with a strategy.  Planning alone won't get you anywhere.
A strategy is the skill to link all your planning to one another to enable you to see the bigger picture.  In turn you can predict certain situations that might occur and do risk assessment.

The same applies to Marketing! There is nothing wrong with having good ideas or being creative in designing stunning posters, flyers or websites!  The trick is in knowing your targert market. What do the clients want? Who is the competition? What is the latest technology concerning your product or industry?  All these questions determine your strategy and will make your marketing campaign effect and specific.

if you want your marketing to work, you have to send the right message to the consumer.  Be informed and be specific.  Look at the latest trend, what do people need or what are they willing to pay for your product?

Use the internet and articles to research the latest trends in marketing.  Ever heard of Social Media?  It is the IN word in marketing these days, yet again, do your research.  Social Media doesn't work for everyone.  Social Media won't work for Big Corporate companies.  These companies have a specific image to maintain.  LinkedIn will be a better means of Media to use.  Corporate figures use this medium to link to different companies and to specific companies.  In this manner they build specific relationships within their specific market or business sector.

Take some time and do market research.  Find out more about the market you are selling in and the consumers it hosts.  Link your your different ideas in your business plan to one another in order to find a strategy that will work for your business.

I wish you all the best and remember to visit our website http://shoptrader.co.za to find a business for you or to sell your business!  Also visit http://entrepreneurmag.co.za/magazine/latest-issues/ to read more about starting a business and finding the right marketing strategy that will work for you.

They also feature articles about creating content for your website etc.

Have a lovely week.

Corne