Goals in Strategy

Goal setting is a necessary and critical aspect of any strategic plan and developing your strategic plan is a process that requires both introspection and vision. Setting goals is the bridge between dreams and reality and they must be tangible and realistic to avoid frustration and disappointment.

Simple goals are definitive and historically elicit a better success rate from the implementation team. Specific targets give staff a clear sense of purpose, eliminate confusion and minimise distractions. By including staff in the discussions and goal setting process you increase your success rate 10-fold and build a strong and committed team along the way.

Seek consensus on achievable expectations from the ground level and discuss different methods of committing to goals and implementing the action plans. Incentives, beyond any usual bonuses or commission structures are a great way to challenge comfort zones and stretch the boundaries. Aim to inspire your staff, not necessarily with monetary incentives but perhaps some time off or even just a simple and sincere thank you!

Allowing the goals, which are typically managerial decisions, to evolve through discussions with employees builds a sense of shared work, common goals and team rewards. In turn this builds a sense of accountability and responsibility, which your customers will reap the benefits of by way of improved service levels and you, of course, will see the impact on your profitability.

Good communication between staff and employer aligns the team to the corporate mission. Persistence is the key to living the Strategic Plan and later revelling in the rewards. For a simple step-by-step guide to Strategic Planning visit TheSmallBusinessStrategicToolbox.com today.

Initiating a Strategic Plan

We recently shared with you a mindset that may be useful when developing your strategic plan and on a more serious note we’d like you to consider why devoting time and energy to this exercise is one of the single most productive things you could do today to make a difference in your business.

Often strategy documents are drafted with enthusiasm but then as the year goes by rarely refer to it and then we get to the end of the year and the reality of what’s been implemented bears no resemblance to the original plan.

Strategizing well will allow valuable thought, reflection and creative thinking around how to provide your clients or customers with what they need most from you.

And, while strategy styles vary from business to business, aligning what you do to where you want the business to go, is the only way to achieve results.

Some strategies may be conservative while others can be as flamboyant, creative or off-beat as your industry will allow and your personality is comfortable with.

Challenge all comfort zones within your organisation and involve people at all levels, most especially those at the top. Management must be kept fluid and open to change so that those down the line can embrace the changes believing they are achievable.

Ultimately whether your strategy is academically good or bad is not the issue. The real issue is do you have a plan for your business at all!

To find out more about a practical step-by-step Strategy Programme for small businesses visit TheSmallBusinessToolbox.com now!

February Financial Year-End?

February is a fabulous month with signposts along the path reminding us to live better and love more. With summer now well and truly upon us we can all look to the sunshine and warm days to find optimism all around us. Isn’t it time to steal your share?

For many February also brings in a financial year end and this is a time for assessing achievements and planning targets and goals for the next fiscal.

As one financial year draws to a close the stepping stones need to be laid to lead your small business to the destination you want to be a year from now. Choose to adopt a positive mindset and chart your own course.

This is the key to developing a business strategy that will have you seizing opportunities with gusto and making 2010 your best year yet.

Yes, 2009 was a tough year for many and you may well feel scarred from the lack of activity in your industry or sector. However, with the blank canvas that is the year ahead it is important to review last year’s activities, failures and successes, acknowledge the lessons learnt and move forward towards a more successful new financial year.

Globally, economic shifts have left entrepreneurs spinning. Now more than ever the business strategy you commit to for your financial New Year must give cognizance to all the practical knowledge you have acquired, take traditional business guidelines into account and rock with chutzpah!

To develop a business strategy that will have you taking the profits off your competition and growing your own debtors book visit TheSmallBusinessToolbox.com now and find out about an easy, practical, step-by-step programme that will have you smiling all the way to month end.

Sponsorship as a Marketing Tool

In small business today South Africa still presents itself as a land of opportunity for those with the energy and vision to overcome the challenges.

We have a dynamic and growing middle income market to tap into, we have wide open spaces and a climate that lends itself to many and varied businesses and we have the FIFA World cup. We can top this list with a president who clearly supports entrepreneurship as seen by his commitment to massive job creation.

South Africans are also becoming, along with the rest of the world, increasingly aware of the future of this country. As small business owners there is more interest than ever before in mission statements, business charters and especially looking at social responsibility programmes that enable us to give back to the communities within which we operate.

Social media has opened this arena to the small business owner at a fast and cost-effective rate. Successful marketing of your business through sponsorship programmes is no longer limited to the arena of corporate giants!

Now South Africa also boasts a wealth of opportunity for creative sponsorship. We have orphans, HIV/Aids, poverty and all the green issues to be tended to. Suddenly you can be bold in your sponsorship, choosing the beneficiary of your social responsibility efforts with clear focus and you can not only involve your staff in a hands on capacity you can also be vocal about it, both within your business and in the media serving your target market.

You can spend a lot or you can spend a little. It’s not about how much you spend, but about how much impact what you spend has on the organization concerned.

Why not encourage communities or other businesses in your area, to join your venture and then you’ll be able to watch the effect you have as it ripples through your community. You can make such a difference in the lives of others while improving your own bottom-line by aligning social responsibility with an effective multi-pronged marketing campaign. Win-Win. Way to go!

Take your marketing team to the next level and be sure you are armed with the right tools to reach your target in this exciting landscape by adding TheSmallBusinessMarketingToolbox.com to your Board of Directors!

To find out more about a Practical Step-by-step Marketing Programme for small businesses visit us today.

Guerilla Marketing – Is it Good?

Guerilla marketing got its name from guerrilla warfare because they both use unorthodox and unexpected strategies to achieve their objectives.

Usually guerilla marketing uses quick, flexible techniques to compensate and compete against their larger budget competitors, who they can’t outspend in order to create noise in the market place.

The term guerilla marketing came into existence by author Jay Conrad Levinson who coined the phrase and not only are there numerous books on the top available in business book stores but there’s even a website devoted to its strategies and tactics (www.gmarketing.com).

There are four key points to understand:

1. Be sure of what your brand stands for and what your brand personality is.

2. Be clear on who your target market is and where they hang out, what they do, what they think etc.

3. Find events and activities where your target market congregate or participate.

4. Find ways to create significant noise at these events in a way that is unexpected, pleasurable and entertaining for the target market and memorable.

As a caution, be careful that your unexpected guerilla tactics do not undermine your brand positioning and are associated with a positive experiential interaction. Be aware that hijack marketing is considered a no-no and you need to be creative and dynamic, without turning your target market, or the event organizers against you!

In order to determine your target market and your brand personality sign up now for The Small Business Marketing Toolbox Programme and it’ll have you thinking creatively about guerilla marketing strategies and tactics in time for 2010!