A marketing plan sets in place what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, who you’re going to do it for and what it is going to cost. But, where do you start?

During this webinar we’ll look at a straight-forward, no-fluff way to create a marketing plan. You’ll have a blueprint (the essential elements of a marketing plan) to complete and some important issues to consider as you develop you strategy for trumping the competition.

Those who attend this webinar will gain an understanding of:

• The benefits of marketing planning in growing your business
• The importance of understanding your products, customers and market
• How to match your services with existing market opportunities
• A simple, step by step marketing planning process – what to tackle first
• When you need to develop or revisit a marketing plan
• The value of leveraging the technology in the process

Your Speaker:

Event Details:

Marketing Plan Design - National

DATE:	Wednesday, 17 March 2010
TIME:	10.15am for 10.30am - 11.30am AEDST (Check your timezone.)
VENUE:	Your home or office.
PRICE:	ABN Members - $0 - FREE
	Non-Members - $39
	(*members: login to get your member discount.)
	Not a member? Join now and save all year.

Note: You will need internet access and a headset with microphone. Fee includes tuition. Call costs may apply if you do not use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

Not a member?

Join today and you save hundreds of dollars each year on workshops designed to help you be more successful as a businesswoman. Membership is less than $1 a day! Learn More about Membership Now

]]> http://blog.abn.org.au/grow-your-business/events/marketing-plan-design-how-to-create-a-blueprint-for-powerful-marketing-tactics/feed http://blog.abn.org.au/grow-your-business/5-twitter-tips-for-entrepreneurs http://blog.abn.org.au/grow-your-business/5-twitter-tips-for-entrepreneurs#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:15:53 +0000 Yvette Vignando http://blog.abn.org.au/?p=3973 By Yvette Vignando, www.happychild.com.au

Leading up to the launch of a new site, I’m researching everything about the power of social media. Before I catapulted myself into the Twitterverse, I confess I cynically suspected it would be full of people updating me about their breakfast, their political views or be a series of automated marketing pitches.

Well, I was right, and it’s actually fantastic. The power of Twitter is that you can authentically and personably connect with people on the same wavelength. And I love that it’s a platform with fast, 140 character, very digestible pieces of information.

As I get to know people personally, including their breakfast menu, I get a sense of how I can help them and actually build a community of ‘real Tweeple’. Those tweeple might be interested in what I have to say, or have information that is helpful for my own personal and professional growth. Even though I’m not a fan of automated tweeting, I still appreciate the efficient sharing of information by the rich source of tweeple I have met during my 140 character visits to the Twitterverse. And I firmly believe that the quality of your Twitter followers is the key, not the quantity.

5 Twitter Lessons I’ve learnt:

Give to Get

Like most venues in life, on Twitter you need to give to receive value. This means:

• Tweet personable information about yourself that is relevant or has synergy for some of your followers. You can keep this non-identifying but still real. For example @SuziDafnis discloses with a picture that she has a penchant for terrifyingly high heels “Just said no to temptation… I can always change my mind. http://twitpic.com/178vfu”
• Tweet links to interesting blogs and news articles. They don’t need to be all your own.
• Re-tweet the tweets you find funny, useful or informative.
• Keep your self-serving links to a minimum but share the ones you are proud of such as your latest blogpost, or in my case recently: “A link to my 5min pres on why there needs to be more emotional intelligence in school http://bit.ly/b6aTzI #ignite”

Read the #FFs With Interest

On Twitter, #FF stands for Follow (on) Friday. Tweeters post Twitter identities of people they think are worth following. Usually this means they’ll be people of interest to you too. Click on their profiles, read their short description and latest tweets and if you’re interested, follow them.

The power of Twitter is that you can authentically and personably connect with people on the same wavelength.

Re-Edit Your Short Profile

The short profile, limited to 160 characters is what people read when thinking about following you. I’ve amended mine many times and I confess it’s still a work in progress. Be informative, personal and disclose your personal style. If you have feedback on mine, I would really appreciate it. Currently it’s “Publish Parenting Info- Raising Children with Emotional Intelligence. A happy child makes a world of difference. Mum of 3 boys. No, they’re not always happy.” What do you think?

The Best Camera is the One You Have With You

I have totally stolen this line from Andrew Harvey at Ignite - the least I can do is share a link to his presentation. Tweeters develop their online brand by taking a quick photo with their mobile phone. This ranges from a sunrise to a pet rabbit or in @SuziDafnis’ case, a dangerous set of heels! A service you can use for this is Twitpic.

Use a Browser to Avoid Twitter Overload

Twitter can suck you in. If you want to scan through the important stuff quickly, download a Twitter browser to manage your lists of Tweeters. I use Tweetdeck but there are many others. Here are a few to check out: UberTwitter, HootSuite and Seesmic.

Hope that’s useful to you – I’m loving the learning that comes with my entrepreneur’s journey – see you out there in the Twitterverse.

A few minutes into his presentation the room was evacuated when a (false) alarm went off but we were back 20minutes later to hear his great tips again.

I managed to catch up with him quickly and invited him to give some of his strategies for successful blogging.

In summary:

1. Be as useful as you can.
2. Enhance the lives of others.
3. Produce content that others want to share.
4. Put yourself out there and promote your content.
   • Where are your readers gathering online?
5. Interact with your audience as much as you can.
   • Ask questions, start debates, engage with people, highlight your readers’ blogs.
6. Capture people’s details (not just RSS) then you can email them update, drive traffic and promote product to them later.
7. Look at the style you write in and experiment in different voices e.g. humorous, technical, use of video - readers will respond well to some but not others - and helps your style and voice evolve.

PLUS:

Many people often think they need to establish a ‘formal’ mentoring relationship in order to receive the benefits. But I often find mentoring … and the benefits that come with it … can be a bit more organic.

A mentor is considered a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person. In the business context, we often look for mentors who are ‘ahead’ of us in their business pursuits … someone from whom we can learn valuable lessons and gain insights based on their experience.

I know I’ve found it hard to find mentors in my time as a business owner … and when I have been ‘partnered’ up with someone ‘older and wiser’ I’ve found the structure of the relationship limiting. For example there was a time when I was paired up with a renown female business leader - literally a leader in her industry. We had a couple of chats over coffee, but I didn’t actually receive a lot of benefit from the ‘chats’. What I really needed was to be able to talk to her more informally - when an idea came to me, or when I hit a snag in my plan … it would have been great to just pick up the phone and have a chat about it.

That experience taught me that there are many ways to be mentored. Just ‘watching’ other people and how they do things is a mentoring experience for me - I ask myself ‘what would happen in my business if I took that approach?’ The different perspective yields interesting responses.

Then there’s the people I hang out with - they wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves my mentors … but I learn an incredible amount by bouncing ideas around with them.

Or there have been times when I’ve looked at high-profile business owners, for example the late Anita Roddick, or Richard Branson and asked myself ‘what would they do in this situation? Of course, it’s largely an exercise in imagination and mind-reading … however if you’re even half the avid-reader I am, you get to learn a lot about Business Leaders just by voyeuristically watching how they run their business.

Then there’s the people I hang out with - they wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves my mentors … but I learn an incredible amount by bouncing ideas around with them. Some of my most valuable insights have come from my clients - the people who are paying me for my expertise - but when I watch their approach I feel I too am being mentored.

There is of course incredible value in creating formal mentoring relationships - I consistently hear amazing things about the ABN’s MentorNet Program and I by all means encourage you to get involved in such programs when you can. But if for whatever reason you can’t establish a formal mentoring relationship with someone, remember you can receive the benefits of mentoring in other ways.

For more information about the MentorNet mentoring program for women business owners, visit the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website.

Your brain is a powerhouse! It requires a large amount of fuel in order to keep it functioning at it’s peak all day long. Stress, poor diet, deadlines and a lack of fresh air can all compromise your brain function. Use the following tips to help keep your brain and memory in tip top shape.

Lecithin granules

Lecithin is rich in phosphatidyl choline which has been found to be beneficial to brain function and memory. Add two tablespoons to your cereal or smoothie at breakfast.

Eat regularly!

Being busy is no excuse for skipping meals and snacks. Since your brain is the greatest consumer of glucose in the body, it is important that you refuel your body every 3-4 hours with good nutritious food.

Fresh air and nature – rich in negative ions

Experience more of the ocean, the mountains and waterfalls as they have been found to generate tens of thousands of negative ions which have a positive impact on mood and brain function. Air conditioning and computer screens emit positive ions which are more likely to contribute to stress levels.

Memory Herb - Gingko Biloba

Studies show that Gingko Biloba helps to increase blood flow to the brain and improves concentration and memory. (Do not use if taking blood thinners or anticoagulant medication such as warfrin).

Good fats

Essential fatty acids are found in high concentrations in the brain and especially involved in our ability to create and maintain memories as well as help to improve circulation. Oily fish, eggs and nuts and seeds are great ways to increase your omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

Antioxidants

Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants that help to protect the brain from damage from free radicals which tend to cause damage to cells particularly in the brain. Blueberries, raspberries, brussel sprouts and broccoli are some of the key fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants. The vitamins A, C and E have also been found to protect the brain and green tea helps to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine which in turn helps to maintain memory.

Replenish lost nutrients from stress

Brain function suffers when we are under stress largely due to the depletion of certain nutrients such as the B vitamins and imbalances in our neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that act as electrical switches in the brain. When you have a memory blank or can’t recall a piece of information it is because there is a short circuit or power failure due to inadequate neurotransmitters. Vitamin B Complex and neurotransmitter precursors such as glutamine, choline, taurine and tyrosine can help to improve memory.

Drink 2 Litres of water each and every day!

Dehdyration affects the ability of the brain to store and retain information.

Meditation

Even 5-10 minutes per day helps to improve brain function.

How often do we sit and think about how symbols, pictures and taglines affect our brand? Conversely how aware are we of the effect on us of our favourite brands’ symbols and other visual identity references?

Are you a visual person, and does it matter?

From teenagers wearing Gap and Nike brand logos to adults driving BMWs, we are drawn to incorporate brands into lives. We all draw our personality and self-image from products such as cars, homes, clothing and even recreational activities, and products always have brand logos or symbols of some kind that represent them.

By accident or Design?

Nike probably got the best deal amongst all companies when Caroline Davidson designed its logo for just $35 in 1971. The main part of the logo hasn’t really changed with time. However it was 7 years before they realized that the text and the swoosh were overlapping each other.

As the brand gained recognition, the company name was dropped from the logo, which made it more simplistic and memorable. The company has different variations of this logo for its various departments like Skate, Soccer etc.

Creating a Visual Signature

One of the first steps in creating an identity for an organisation is the development of an effective logo. An appealing logo makes your business special and memorable in the eyes of your clients or customers.

Each element adds unique characteristics to a logo.

It is important to remember that your logo is not your brand. It is just one part of the entire brand implementation process.

Keep it simple.

An appealing logo makes your business special and memorable in the eyes of your clients or customers.

The simpler a logo is the more it is, the more cost effective it is to reproduce. Your logo needs to remain consistent in color, font and proportion where ever it is used.

A brand comprises many elements. These include its name, positioning (reason for being), trademark/trade dress (symbols, colors, typestyle, package configuration), and brand communications. These brand elements, when successfully developed and managed, create a strong identity for a company. Over time, this creates strong brand authority.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

Women in Business eNewsletter | March 2010

So you have waded your way through the interviewing and selection process and BINGO! You have found the perfect person for your role! They have the skills and experience and above all you think they make a great with your team.

So you extend the offer, with what you feel is a fair market salary package for the position - and then they are counter offered.

A counter offer in its basic sense is when the applicant you have offered the position to is, usually upon resignation with their existing employer, offered more money or better benefits in an effort to keep them with that company.

There can be only three outcomes when an applicant is counter offered:

1. They decline the counter offer and accept your offer
2. They consider the counter offer and come to you to try and negotiate further
3. They accept the counter offer and stay with the employer

Obviously the ideal is scenario one, and for most smart applicants this is what they would do, because ultimately research shows that the majority of candidates who accept a counter offer leave the employer within six months.

However, if you find yourself in the other two scenarios with a top class applicant, here are some tips which may help you manage the difficult process:

1. Know your limits - This means knowing what the role is worth to your company and not going over this amount (unless you are convinced this person can add more value than anyone else could in the role).
2. Consider the salary ranges of the other staff in the same or similar positions - Are you putting this new staff member above other great performing team members?
3. Remind the applicant the reasons they were looking for a change to begin with - Having conducted a thorough interview you would have asked them their reasons for wanting to leave their existing employer, if their counter offer is purely financially based, likelihood is it won’t meet these needs, and they will still be unhappy.
4. Think outside the square – You may not be able to offer the same or better money, but what else can you offer to keep them happy? Again go back to your interview notes on why they were looking to leave their current role and meet these needs. It may be flexible hours, the opportunity to work from home, a more social culture, different challenges or the opportunity to learn new skills.
5. Above all don’t be pushed or rushed into decisions that you are not ready to make - You obviously don’t want to lose a great applicant, but by the same token you must make sure the decisions you make are well thought out and qualified as the right thing for the business and the role.
6. Seek advice - Ask other business owners and industry contacts about the salary and benefit ranges for similar positions, make sure that you are not offering below market rates or you may never get the right person for the role.

Remember to do your research, know your limits and think outside the square, this should make the process a whole lot simpler.

Counter offers can be frustrating, disappointing and confronting, but in roles where great applicants with unique skills are in high demand they can be very common. Remember to do your research, know your limits and think outside the square, this should make the process a whole lot simpler.

Have you buried your head in the sand when it comes to your business financials? Do you know where your money is being spent and how much money you have earned? Or do you simply get your books done (or not - shriek!) to get your BAS out of the way, pray that you don’t owe any money and get back to being busy? Are you afraid of knowing exactly how your business is going? I love that saying “feel the fear and do it anyway”, because at least if you do know the hard facts, you’ll be able to make changes. And you never know, your business might be doing better than you thought!

If you’re behind in keeping your books, you can get back on track. Here are some simple steps to accomplish this:

1. Collate all your paperwork into piles that relate to:

a. Invoices and payments made for business expenses
b. Invoices and payments received from customers/clients or a cash register summary
c. Payments made to employees
d. Bank and credit card statements, BAS, ATO correspondence

2. If this seems overwhelming, maybe it’s time to bite the bullet and enlist help from a bookkeeper who can sort it all out for you.

3. Are you using an accounting software package? You need access to this (or give your bookkeeper access to it) to get yourself up to date.

4. Enter all relevant information from a, b and c above.

5. Take your bank and credit card statements, and check (reconcile) that all transactions are accounted for in your accounting software program. Make sure to include any cash transactions as well. If you have no idea how to reconcile, simply look at a bank register (or credit card register) within your accounting software to check that each item that is on your bank statement (and/or credit card statement) also appears in your bank register. Then you can hand over to a bookkeeper/accountant to complete the reconciliation process.

6. By now you should be up to date. It’s time to celebrate – woo-hoo! If you had assistance to get back on track make sure you pay their bill promptly. Let’s now consider your maintenance program, because you don’t want really to get into this position again, do you?

7. Maintenance mode – repeat steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 from above on a weekly or fortnightly basis to keep on track. The important thing to remember is that it is much better for you and your business to KNOW your numbers than to go into a cold sweat and have no idea!

Communication skills are  more important today than ever before.

And, communication barriers go beyond language barriers. Let’s assume you speak English well. You may not be the next best-selling author, or Tony Robbins, but you have a decent command of the English language. You’re good at what you do and you want to grow your business.

But, nobody’s listening, nobody’s buying.

What’s happening?

Do you speak English?

Mum. Aged 16. (Love the hair!)

My mum arrived here from Greece aged 15. She spoke no English and, like many migrants new to a country, struggled for a long time to be understood.

Some migrants, like her, moved to neighbourhoods with like-speaking people, worked in factories where their native language was spoken, mingled only with others from their own culture. No doubt their progress with the English language was slow.

Mum wanted to learn the language of her new country - to be understood.  So, when my brothers and I were in school and she finally had some time to herself, she went off to English classes and while we kids would at times giggle at her attempts at words (English is a HARD language) she persisted. She wanted to be understood. I didn’t realise, at the time, the persistence this took.

Communication today

Doing business today requires you to be able to communicate better and differently than ever before.

Technology has given us many tools with which to communicate. But the tools themselves don’t make us good communicators. The mastery of one or many, could however make you a market leader.

Over the next few weeks I’ll post about the effective use of of my favourite communication tools for business.

Here’s my position on Communication:

Communication is a skill.

It can be learned, improved, mastered. By anyone. Yes, including you - regardless of your level of schooling.

Tools do not make you good.

Communication tools like blogs, podcasts, emails, newsletters, videos, webinars, seminars etc. are TOOLS. Their use, alone, does not make you a master of them.

In my opinion:

• A bad podcast COULD be worse for your business than no podcast.
• A bad webinar COULD be worse for your business and reputation than NO webinar.

The key to more effective communication is to take action AND to get education and improve your skills. For example:

• If you’re going to blog, get some basic training.
• If you’re going to podcast, then get some honest feedback on your voice and some voice training.
• If you’re going to do seminars, then please, please, get some presentation skills.

You get the picture?

The big opportunity

Those who commit to master of their communication will win the hearts and minds of their customers, staff, allies and community.

If you’re up for the ride, then let’s go.  Next week’s post: Basic Communication Tools to Grow Your Business

Cheers
Suzi