Living & breathing your plan
February 16, 2011
“If you don’t set goals, you can’t regret not reaching them.” Yogi Berra
Some of us would rather plan than do. Others hate to plan, and just want to be out in the world doing Stuff. Many of us fall in the middle, loving some parts of planning and doing, and avoiding others.
There is a lot of evidence that planning our business and marketing is a good idea. Sound like bad-tasting medicine? It doesn’t have to be. Planning has us take an overview, which helps us see patterns or trends, and connect the dots in new ways. A plan gives us a way to be consistent about activities that are essential for a sustainable, profitable business. Planning can be creative and fun — and it can really pay off. Read the rest of this entry
Do-it-yourself marketing audit
February 3, 2011
Ongoing marketing is essential for a viable business, especially during a slow economy. With increased competition it is more important than ever to be clear about who you are targeting, what they care about, and how your business can meet their needs. Your clear messages tell your potential clients about you, and help them decide whether they want to work with you. For more about target audiences, try this blog post.
Ideally, we have an ongoing marketing program that brings a steady flow of clients and projects maintain our momentum. But what if we don’t? Read the rest of this entry
Would you like 340º vision?
January 24, 2011
With eyes on the sides of their heads, horses have 340º vision. As prey animals, they need it for survival.
Whether your business is one person or one thousand people, taking time to learn from the past will help you survive too. We’re all so busy, it is tempting to jump right into planning the brilliant future. I’m speaking as one who has done this – often.
We lose something when the lure of the future causes us to bypass reviewing the past and developing a clear vision for the year. It is like starting your kitchen remodel by knocking down a wall before you have a blueprint, or starting a marketing plan with specific actions instead of big picture objectives and strategies. It can be REALLY fun, but it may not serve you best in the long run. Read the rest of this entry
Appreciating baby steps
January 19, 2011
It’s 5 pm on January 19th and it is still daylight outside, sort of. It feels like a victory over Seattle’s winter darkness when we only have light for 8 1/2 hours. At the solstice on December 21st, the sun seems to stand still for a few days. Today we have 9 whole hours of light. That is a big half hour to me, but we got here through tiny increases in the light each day.
For some of us (including yours truly) it is easy at the beginning of a project or business to see our end result. It seems so real and tangible: it must be close at hand. In the excitement, we sometimes miss a few intermediate steps. I know I do, and I am very good at translating big ideas into detailed plans of action. Read the rest of this entry
Social media ABCs
November 1, 2010
A small investment of time to explore and get familiar with one social media site will open doors of understanding into social media in general.
Even though we now understand that social media is just another place to network, you may be frustrated if you don’t also consider that for most of us over the age of 40 (and many under) there is a learning curve involved. The workings of social media aren’t entirely obvious, especially if solving simple technical challenges online is not something that you consider fun.
As you begin engaging with social media and networking, here are a few points to keep in mind: Read the rest of this entry
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As a 25-year veteran of marketing professional services, Barbara Breckenfeld is a strategist and a storyteller. She helps helps businesses grow as a consultant, marketing coach, and seminar leader.
