Back to basics...

Well, everyone, we've got a fresh year ahead of us. Are you ready? Time to pull out that marketing plan. I can already hear the groaning. Don't think of your marketing plan as a chore. Think of it as a New Year's list of resolutions for your business. Time to think ahead, chart the course, and charge forward!

Let's start with what a marketing plan is and isn't. A marketing plan is a guide. A map charting the course for your company's future. What it isn't. It isn't a moot exercise. It isn't a book that you drag out once a year for an important meeting and dust off. In short, it is one of your most valuable resources.

First step, review last year's marketing plan. What worked? What didn't? What needs tweaking? Don't worry if you haven't got one. Developing one is a great exercise. It helps you understand where you are in relation to where you need to be, or perhaps where you would like to be.

Second step, prepare to set aside adequate time and staff resources. If there's one thing you want to do when preparing a marketing plan, is doing it right from the start. A good marketing plan will be referred to over and over throughout the course of the year.

Third, make the marketing plan your business Bible. Refer to it often. In fact, pull out your Franklin Planner and enter your marketing goals at regular intervals. Optimally, every six weeks. At the very least, quarterly.

I wish you the very best of luck this year!