8 Elements to Include in Your 2017 New Business/Marketing Plan

You’ve decided to start working on your new business/marketing plan for 2017. Now where do you start?

Here’s a basic outline that you can follow to create a great new business/marketing plan for your business.

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should be written last but always comes first. This portion is a concise summary of your plan.

The Team

In this section, you should define the new business and marketing environment at your business. Who is on your team and what do they do? How did you grow this year and how are you planning on growing next year? Do you need to hire new employees to achieve these goals?

Performance

By analyzing this past year, you can better forecast the year ahead. Where will your new opportunities come from?

The Marketplace

Who are your competitors? What kind of trends are you seeing in your industry?

Revenue Goals

This is where you crunch the numbers. Look at your business from last year. Where did it come from? Did your new customers come to you or were you more proactive in your prospecting? How many new customers will you need in 2017 to meet your goals?

Meeting Those Goals

This element is where you need to know who your ideal customer is and use this information to put together a targeted list of prospects.

New Business Tools

What new tools do you need to meet your goals? Is it a new CRM? Or maybe this year you redesign your website. Plan for these new tools to make 2017 an easier and more productive year.

Marketing

Is your business’ marketing message strong enough to differentiate you from your competition? Is your messaging strong? What events should you attend? Speak at? Or should you create your own event?

A new business/marketing plan can seem like a lot of work, but the time you invest in planning for your business’ future will pay off with a good year ahead. When you know where you’re going, it’s easier to get there!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – Maya Angelou

It’s Time to Start Thinking About Your 2017 Business Plan

I know you already have an overwhelming to-do list, but as a small business owner, you need to start thinking about your new business and marketing plan for 2017.

Here are a couple of great reasons why you need a plan:

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     -It’s a great way to measure your success. Your annual plan sets expectations for you and your employees because you all contribute to your company’s success.

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     - You learn a lot. Writing the plan for next year give you the opportunity to reflect on the past year and accurately set projections for the coming year.

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     - It clarifies what you do at your business. Some employees may not know all that is being done in your company. If they are involved in the new business and marketing plan, they will learn what your goals are and see the path you are laying out to achieve those goals. 

Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it. – Alexander Bloch

3 Tip on How to Market Your Business When You are Busy

As a business owner, you are a very busy person. You have to meet clients, create and present proposals, network to find new clients, do your bookkeeping and write your blog. How can you keep marketing your business when you’re so busy running your business?

Here are a few tips you can use to get more marketing done in less time. You’ll also improve your marketing outreach and lead generation efforts too.

Schedule time to write your blog

Blogging for your business will set you apart as an expert in your industry so posting on a regular basis is a great idea. To write one blog a week you should schedule time on your calendar to write, edit and post your blog. Setting aside a half an hour to an hour a couple days a week will get you a great blog you’ll be proud to post.

Day 1: Write a working blog title and an outline of your blog.

Day 2: Start writing. Take your outline and fill in the blanks. Once you’re done with your blog, change your working title to a catchy title that will make people want to read your blog.

Day 3: Post your blog and promote it on social media.

Day 4: Start working on ideas for your next blog.

Use your blog posts everywhere

Having your blog on your website it a must. Visitors to your site will be able to read your posts and better understand what you do and how you can help them. Your blog on your website will also raise your website in searches because you’re adding new content to your site.

But don’t limit your blog to your website. Share it on LinkedIn and Facebook. This will allow you to attract prospective clients to your business on different channels.

Use your email signature to market your business

Email signatures are often an underutilized marketing tool. Create an email signature that includes links to your website, your social media profiles and your latest blog post.

It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln

It is better to have lived one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep. – Tibetan saying