Summary:

In the arena of Non-Profit Organizations, a strategic marketing plan provides the foundation needed for the organization’s influence on it’s members and potential members. The goal is to have a compelling enough message for your audience to align themselves with and “buy into” with donations or memberships.

The six steps to follow in creating a marketing plan, as highlighted by Marla Cooper from Bloom Consulting, Inc. follows:

1. Form a Marketing Committee

2. Set the Goals of your Committee

3. Do your research

4. Establish your Mission and Vision

5. Develop your strategic marketing plan

6. Execute your strategic marketing plan

Article Quote:

“Why is it that I’m often met with those glazed stares when I’m brought in as a Strategic Marketing Consultant and I ask to see an organization’s “Communications Plan”. This should be as basic to any organization as an Operating Budget and yet it seldom exists as a comprehensive, integrated and well thought out document. Why is this so often neglected by organizations when it is clearly so key to success in today’s competitive and dynamic marketplace? Possibly because there are many misconceptions about what a Strategic Marketing Plan is and what is should do.”

Link: http://www.howsescandy.com/marketing-plan/taking-on-the-“battle”-of-strategic-marketing-6-steps-to-developing-a-strategic-marketing-plan-that-works

Although not necessarily in the right order, the steps and advice given in this article are relevant. Begin by knowing what your mission and vision statements are as these will provide a foundation to work from. Next, conduct market research, set your goals, and develop an action plan to achieve these goals.

Developing a strategic plan asks these questions: “Where do we want to be?”; “How are we going to get there?”; “What kind of environment do we expect to face along the way?”

After these questions are answered and a plan is in place, implementing the plan is the next step. Make sure the goals/initiatives are translatable into daily tasks. As long as they are integrated into daily operations, the plan will be “worked” and results can be measured.

For more on strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/

Summary:

Succession planning refers to the development of a comprehensive and coordinated plan designed to insure an orderly replacement of key members of an organization when they are lost to the organization for any reason. Succession planning also provides for training and mentoring prior to the change. Management first needs to identify the key employees within the organization and provide a plan for their eventual replacement.

This task should not be delayed until the employee nears retirement because many key people leave the company well before retirement age. There are a number of reasons an employee may leave a company. For instance, they could be lured away by another company, become ill and unable to work, move away, and the list goes on. It is not only wise to perform succession planning, it is an obligation management has to shareholders as well.

Article Quote:

“Many organizations have Succession Insurance policies that are designed to provide the necessary funds for the recruitment and training of new personnel in the event of a sudden loss of a key member of the organization. This is one indication of how serious this issue can be to a large business. It is a part of the risk management element of the overall business financial plan.”

Link: http://strategicplanning.doodig.com/2010/02/17/have-you-considered-succession-planning-2/

History has shown that succession planning is critical to the continued success of the business. Many companies falter and even fail with the loss of key personnel. Businesses have the option of taking out an insurance policy to cover training costs and lost profits directly related to key employee loss. However, this could be avoided with management’s careful consideration and development of a plan.

Succession planning should not be limited to large corporations. It should also be performed in smaller businesses because the smaller the business is, the more important each member is to the business’s success. Succession planning  reduces this risk and is considered as important as any other form of insurance in the overall risk management picture.

For more on strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/