Integrating Strategies and Tactics Into Your Small Business

Did you know that, according to a recent study, most small businesses do not use strategic planning when marketing their businesses?Or that, according to a study by Ron Robinson, that businesses using strategic planning and management benefit from better decision making, objective assessments, and, ultimately, more progress?

In general, business owners want their success to come simply from their superior products or services.However, offering your consumers or clients best-in-class features and benefits is only half the battle.How do people discover your business exists?How do you retain customers?How do you plan on expanding?

It is easy to want your product or service to work for you.A new entrepreneur in town opening a small Italian restaurant may be relying too heavily on an up-and-coming chef he has discovered.

From there, he may take the advice of others in the industry and hope for the best - that people will discover the great food and the business will flourish.It's no accident that 60 percent of restaurants fail in the first three years of business.

To prevent against such failures, and to get the best results, it is vital to develop both a business plan and a marketing plan.These two documents will clearly delineate your strategies and tactics - your plan for future success and the actions that you will implement to create that success.

Instead of blindly trying marketing campaigns or adding features to your product, marketing and business plans will not only help you keep track of what works and what doesn't, but will also help you to make sure you are in the black financially as you begin new projects and try new plans.

What is the difference between a tactic and a strategy?A strategy is an overarching long-term plan.

This plan should consist of big ideas.If we return to our new Italian restaurant, the owner's business strategy could include a grassroots marketing campaign on the internet, sponsoring a local sports team, and finding a unique selling proposition that separates the restaurant from the crowd.

The strategy could also involve more abstract ideas, such as researching other restaurants in the area and famous Italian restaurants, or such as resolving to integrate innovation into your business at every step - from how you run your delivery service to how you keep your books.

Tactics, on the other hand, are smaller actions that work toward your larger strategy.For example, if you were working on your strategy of developing a grassroots marketing campaign on the internet, tactics might include advertising on popular local internet sites, posting in local forums, and creating a MySpace page.

If you were working on your strategy of developing a unique selling proposition, your tactics might include experimenting with a family dining model, serving fusion food, or creating a dinner theater.

Tactics are more elastic than strategies - while your main strategies will usually stay the same, tactics can be molded, stretched, altered, expanded, or abandoned altogether depending on their success.

If your grassroots marketing internet campaign is bringing in a significant number of new customers, you can put more time and money into that specific tactic - perhaps with online coupons or an expanded website that allows customers to make delivery orders online.

On the other hand, if your local sports team sponsorship has not garnered results, don't sign up next season and use your resources elsewhere.

Many business owners make the mistake of developing strategies but not implementing complementary tactics or trying out tactics without a larger strategy in mind.Neither works.

Imagine going on a vacation without planning your stops or packing anything.Transversely, imagine going on vacation without having a clear idea of why you picked the spot, what you want out of the vacation, or what you want to bring home.

The ancient military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in his timeless guide, The Art of War, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory.Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

Put more simply, having a plan but no call to action won't get you anywhere, while acting without a plan won't lead to any kind of result.

Here are a few more reasons it is vital for your small business to implement both strategies and tactics:

- Both strategies and tactics will make you more aware of your resources.

Do you remember how easy it was to spend too much money in your personal life before you outlined a family budget?Your business is the same way.

If you spend money without a very clear purpose that leads to very clear fiscal results, you will run out of money.Outlining strategies is the perfect way to align your budget.Keeping track of how much your separate tactics cost and how much they bring in will give you a crystal clear picture of what works and what doesn't.

- Sitting down and formulating a plan can stimulate creativity.It's easy to get caught up in your business and follow the same trajectories as your competitors.Taking the time to think about strategy and to formulate new and interesting tactics will foster innovation, fresh ideas, and new angles.

Getting your employees involved in developing new tactics will also excite your workers and make them personally involved in your business' success.

- Having a hardcopy of your plan can lead to more money.Drawing up a clear, well researched, thorough business plan can act as proof that your business is viable and that those running the business are thoughtful, careful owners.

These business plans can lead to bank loans and investors, which can lead to opportunities for growth and expansion.

- Business strategies can solidify your mission and philosophy.The best businesses in the world are those with greater goals than simply making money.They are dedicated to innovation, to environmental concerns, to humanitarian purposes, to forwarding science.

Even though your small or local business may not be trying to save the world or cure cancer, you can have larger purposes in mind.These purposes, which will begin to shine through as soon as you begin developing your strategy, can motivate employees, catch the eye of clients, and make you feel great about what you do.

Especially for small business owners, you may not feel like you have the time or energy to formulate a strategy and the tactics to back that strategy up - you are flying by the seat of your pants and often things are moving too fast to think.

However, you will find that developing plans and plans of action will ground you and give you a much needed chance to take a deep breath and take a close look at what you are doing and why.

About the Author

Copyright 2009 Michelle P Simms, personal development coach.

My ideal client is not defined by a specific profession, but by the passion she has to grow personally and professionally.Michelle works with women around the globe.You can find her at http://www.SimmsInternational.com

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Work At Home Business Opportunities

Sadly the amount of legit work at home ops is few and far between, however, if you do find a good one you better hold on to it!Just by searching on Google for Business Opportunities you can find millions upon millions of search results.The only thing that really sucks about this, is that a ton of these programs are scams and really aren't legit.So, how do you go about picking through the bad ones and going with the good ones?How can you really find out the bad apples from the golden ops?I would love to tell you some super top secret, but unfortunately I have learned something valuable the hard way; you have to try it to really know.In a lot of cases you can get a partial imprint of what a company, program or website is about by doing a lot of research on them and doing some searching online for reviews.of course this still doesn't put you in the "green" you still need to do some research!Listed below I decided to give you a little break and talk to you about some businesses online that are legit.These will work for you if you put a lot of work into them.Hey, no one said making money was easy.if it was easy then everyone and their mother would be another Bill Gates!

Ben Matila's Peoples Program Team -
The Cash Leveraging program is called The Peoples Program (TPP), and it's a proven & totally hands-free automated turn-key cash gifting system which can quickly & easily enable you to start receiving Cash Gifts of $150 and $10,000 cash daily and by doing no more than driving traffic and inviting people to this website with our proven marketing system.
Even if you're an absolute newbie and you have no previous experience, that's not a problem because your fully loaded back office website will include a ton of proven marketing strategies & resources, all designed to enable you to start inviting an endless stream of targeted prospects to your website, and generate yourself and endless amounts of cash!

My Great Empire -
This is a site related to the GDI system, now I have never personally tried the GDI system but, I know of friends who have and it has worked for them, so don't count this site out just yet.
Go take a look at it and at least sign up for the free information.Building a massive action driven GDI team beneath you has never been easier.Not only will you notice a much higher opt in ratio, but an increased GDI sign up ratio as well.Every opt in you get through your My Great Empire affiliate link, will receive approximately 12 followup emails in a period of 30 days.This is a website made for users that want to receive opt-in leads with the system.

Cash Making Power Sites -
Another great money maker, this site is a program you can purchase and you will in turn receive some really great information about the top 5 sites you can earn money from, easily and quickly.
This is another very legit site, and I have actually tried this one and it has worked for me quite well.Now this might either be a pro or a con for you personally, for me it was a pro, but the more I learn and the more I read, the more I earn each month.The first month it was just a few hundred bucks, but now I'm on month 2 and the highest I earned was a little over $1500.Another great thing about this system is its automated, and who doesn't love automated sites!I know I do!

Of course there ARE many more sites out there but these are ones I have had success with and they are ones that I know other people who have had success with them as well.Hey, the least you can do for yourself is check these sites out and read about some of the information they give you.Information wont cost you one red cent and who knows what you may find out about these companies and what they could possibly do for you!Good luck!

About the Author

This author is a HUGE fan of Cash Gifting Program

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How To Improve The Efficiency Of Your Warehouse

A bottleneck in your production line is never good as it can quickly eat into your profits.A commonly overlooked potential bottleneck is your warehouse and shipping and receiving departments.When this is the case, many employers will automatically look to beef up the staff when they may want to take a closer look at the equipment that is being used.Check to see if the equipment is designed to handle the workload and if there any additional pieces of equipment that can make the operation run smoother.

Keeping Products Secured

Products need to be secured to the pallet during transportation to prevent damage.

A common procedure is to use plastic shrink-wrap to surround the load.If this procedure is used in your warehouse, you may want to consider an automatic shrink-wrap machine that will spin the pallet and cover the entire load in one step rather than using rolls that are applied by hand.

A strapping machine can prevent boxes from opening during the transport.When securing larger equipment, consider having stands that will hold the straps and clasps all together in one spot.This way, your workers can keep everything in one convenient location.

Another stand that holds shipping labels, bills of lading, knives, tape, packing slips, and other frequently used items can be placed nearby to help keep items organized and convenient.Even if only a few steps are saved on each item shipped, they can quickly add up.The result is employees that have more energy and are less frustrated with the whole process.

Weighing Stations

A transport company needs to weigh any shipment before it can be loaded.

This can become a problem, especially when the entire pallet needs to be weighed and each piece has a different weight.Instead of having employees use a small desktop scale, think about having a scale the size of a standard load installed into the floor.Then the employee only has to pull the load onto the scale or make use of a used forklift to speed up the process.If you're going to be using a used forklift to bring the pallets to the scale, you won't have to worry about removing the transport equipment prior to weighing because the pallets can simply be lifted onto the scale and then quickly removed before the weight is recorded.

Transporting Pallets And Other Loads

The set up of your warehouse, the amount of space you have available, and whether you move loads in and out of trucks or around the warehouse will determine the type of equipment used.

A used forklift with a narrow aisle design is good to move pallets and other loads through tighter spots.Used equipment is good to temporarily store loads on reinforced industrial shelving or vertically to save on space.

A pallet jack is good if you don't have the need to transport loads around the building or place them at a higher level.They can easily move the pallets on and off the truck.If you find yourself renting a used forklift for the times that you do use them, you might want to consider purchasing a used forklift brand to prevent having to wait for delivery of the rental unit.This may seem like a major expense at first glance, but the return on investment will be well worth it in the end.

Regardless of whether you own a small grocery store in the suburbs or a large warehouse in Illinois, forklift and moving equipment are essential components of your operation.Securing loads and weighing pallets can take up a lot of employee time.Anything you can do to streamline the operation will help increase your bottom line.Even the smallest change can add up to big savings over time.

About the Author

Christine O'Kelly is an author for the Illinois forklift experts at RHI Lifts.

They carry a full line of moving and storage equipment and provide maintenance and service for everything from a used Clark forklift to E-Z-Go Cars.They focus on providing high-quality products with fast and dependable customer service for a premium experience.

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10 Business Growth Jobs To Do In A Summer Slow Down Period

In most countries, summer is the time when many businesses slow down.People take holidays with their kids, and generally think of anything except business.
So what can you do with this gift of time?Here are my top 10 ways to get the maximum use out of your summer slow time.

Take a holiday and get away.Small business owners traditionally find it hard to take a break.This is the one time of the year when it is considered "normal" to take a holiday and your customers don't stress if your business is closed for a few days.Book in a few days away and recharge your batteries.

Get a massage, healing and take care of your health.You have been carrying stress for the rest of the year.Book in time to get a massage or energy healing to recharge your batteries.Book in to get those medical tests you have been avoiding.Small business success relies on the health of the business owner.You can't grow a business if you are sick or in hospital.Take time out to care for your health.

Take a business planning day.Planning your strategy in terms of business direction, marketing plan and business goals is a key part of business success.Either hire a facilitator, business mentor or just run a process by yourself to reflect on your business direction - what has worked, what needs to be improved and what you are going to do next.Create a detailed monthly calendar of activities what you are going to do when.The act of taking time to plan and set goals sets up a different vibration in your business which increases the likelihood of success.

Update your website.Most businesses websites tend to get a bit dated.They have outdated prices or information on them, as well as content that no longer reflects the direction of the business.Polish your website words until they sparkle!

Refresh your marketing material.In a down economy you need to market more than ever to attract and retain new business.Take a look at all of your business cards, flyers, profiles, ezines and newsletters and work out what needs to be refreshed for maximum impact.Get professional photos done in summer (you look more relaxed) as well as organise professional profiles to be written.

Clear the clutter.Clutter creeps into every business over time and saps energy and focus.Take a few days to totally clean the office from top to bottom.Archive material you no longer need, review all files in filing cabinets, go through email folders and delete old emails (it helps to free space on your server in the process), tidy electrical cords around your computers that tend to get out of control during a year.Doing this now means you are more likely to be able to quickly find things when things get busy again and save you stress at that time.

Write articles.Articles are a great way to help boost your businesses credibility.Put pen to paper and share your ideas with customers and potential clients.Create a store of articles you can match to your marketing calendar throughout the year.

Computer maintenance.All computers need maintenance.Take the time to defrag your computers, take full back-ups of everything and generally run a system tune up.Book your IT guy in early as their diaries often are full this time of year.

Update your emergency procedures.No one likes to think of the worst, but it does happen.Take time to run through what would happen if your office caught on fire (yes that means doing fire drills) as well as reviewing your disaster recovery procedures.Do you have back-ups?Do they work?Is your insurance up to date?Do you have your key documents stored in a safe place?How would you begin to function again if the worst did happen?

Touch base with your contacts.It is really easy to get out of touch with key clients, colleagues and alliance partners.Take some time to reconnect over coffee or phone calls.Working with trusted colleagues is a great way to gain ideas, share resources and grow your business.Summer quiet time is the perfect time to reconnect and build relationships for the coming year.

Summer is a brilliant time to grow your business if you take the time to do it.Use your time wisely and your business will flourish.

About the Author

Ingrid Cliff is a freelance writer and the Chief Word Wizard of Heart Harmony - a writing services studio that helps put your business into words.

For a free copy of the "7 Secrets of Compelling Copy & Powerful Words" visit her website http://www.heartharmony.com.au "> www.heartharmony.com.au .

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