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:

Buying an established and profitable business without a strategic plan and seeing it go south is not bad luck, it’s the result of not being prepared. This is exactly what happened to a gentleman after he bought an established business. Right after the purchase, two key employees left and several long-time customers went elsewhere as their loyalty was to the previous owner, not the new owner. Profits plunged and now the owner is working hard just to keep the doors open.

The new owner never stopped and asked “What would happen to the business if a key employee left  or if long-time customers left for lack of loyalty to new owners?” In fact, he didn’t have any plan and thought he could walk in and everything would run smoothly.

If you want luck, then make it part of your action plan. Commit your goals to writing. Work your action plan, plan your work. Then see all of the luck come your way – or if you want, believe that you have been lucky.

Article Quote:

“Simply speaking, the failure to plan is planned failure. Without an action plan to begin to guide a business or even an individual, the end result is usually walking down the wrong path along with a lot of spraying and praying going on.”

Link: http://strategicplanning.doodig.com/2010/02/15/strategic-planning-tip-bad-luck-is-the-result-of-not-planning/

An old quote states: “Good luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity.” Strategic planning consists of knowing your market, your organizational structure,  purpose and vision, company strengths and weaknesses, and knowing where you want to the company to be in the future. Action is taking that distant future goal, breaking it down into actionable tasks that can be measured, and incorporating those tasks into daily operations.

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