Writing a Marketing Plan

- Why Every Small Business Should Have a Marketing Plan
By Cara McCarron

The old saying "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail," may seem like quite the cliche, but when it comes to marketing your small business, nothing could be farther from the truth.

There are many reasons why every small business should have a marketing plan. The first being, how in the world do you expect to accomplish anything, especially running a business if you don't have a plan? Think about it. many of us won't even make a trip to the grocery store without a list. We won't run errands without a plan. I know a lot of men won't make a trip to the mall without strategically plotting out the order in which to hit all the stores they want to visit. So, why is it that so many small business owners just open a business without the slightest planning? No wonder so many of them fail so quickly.

To put it simply, every small business should have a marketing plan so they know what actions to take and when, for the best possibility of success. When everything is laid out in front of you in an easy to follow plan, your chances of succeeding are multiplied greatly. There are many elements to writing a marketing plan that you should consider if you really want to increase your chances.

Things like your company's vision statement, what niche your business is in, determining your ideal client, who your competition is, and the actual marketing strategies themselves are all very important factors in mapping out your success.

If writing a marketing plan seems a little daunting, there are lots of places that will do it for you. Just be sure to look for one that is more results-oriented, rather than fluffy and image based. And shop around. There are many affordable marketing plan companies out there. Just don't make the mistake of thinking you don't need one at all. Trying to save a bit of money now by ignoring this all important step now will only spell disaster later.

Cara McCarron is the Managing Director of Balance Advertising Solutions BAS offers their clients results-oriented, no B.S. marketing strategies designed to increase sales. Real results. No filler. Guaranteed. If you need help with writing a marketing plan or any other marketing service, give Balance a call today!

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