Planning | Solo Mompreneur

3 Simple Keys to a Strategic Plan that Rocks!

Every year, during the last couple of months, we turn our attention to “planning.”

And because it’s that time of year, we call it a strategic plan that sets us up for the next year’s growth.

You can spend tons of time, invest lots of energy and lose yourself in crafting a strategic plan for your business. Heck, there are so many elements that can go into creating an effective strategic plan that you can give up before you get started.

As a former corporate leader, I too, built strategic plans for my team.

One year, we went off to a conference room in the south of France to plan new skills development strategies for a revamped organization. It was a full week, heads down, locked together in a common goal. And I had tools, templates for us to use and complete. I asked them to do some homework before they arrived in France and we all left with a plan of activities and due dates at the end of our time together.

Now, I’m not that much of a hard driver, we did get out for dinner and wonderful French wine every evening. Great team building… smile. But planning IS a huge part of the corporate environment.

What about we entrepreneurs?

Do we use planning as part of our strategy to grow our skills and business? Sorry to say, I don’t think it’s as widely used or greatly appreciated. And that’s too bad, because at a minimum it can help you get the “stuff” out of your head and on paper so that you can see the possibilities available to you.

I do know that one of the reasons it’s not used effectively is because it can take “time” to plan.

And when you’re focused on attracting clients, designing and delivering programs or products, planning takes a back seat. For that reason, I want to give you a “shortcut” to do some planning if you can’t invest the time to grow your business. (Yes I’m being facetious!) But if I can get you to do “some” planning it could actually open you up to more in-depth focus and results.

So the 3 simple keys or “shortcuts” to a strategic plan that rocks revolve around a theme: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Plan Tagged With: Business, entrepreneurs, Internet business success, Marketing your services online, Organizing, Planning, Small business

Pigeonhole Posts

By Melanie Kissell 15 Comments

Today I’m going to write what I call a “pigeonhole” post.

After you read the post, use the comment box below to tell me your definition of a pigeonhole post.

On with the post …

When I share a business success formula with my target audience, a quote from Adam Urbanski always sticks in the forefront of my mind. Adam says, “Your offerings should be ‘pain killers’ versus vitamins.”

My audience is short on time.

They want the most valuable business-building information that’s as concise as possible – consumed and digested quickly and painlessly.

No slow-acting, time-released vitamins for these folks!

Here’s the formula I give them:

1) Get to know yourself – Make a list of your attributes (gifts, talents, strengths, life and work experiences)

2) Develop and research your ideas – Find out what others have done in your field, what kinds of problems people are looking to solve, and what they are willing to pay for the solutions.

3) Clearly define your message – Who will you serve? How will you serve them?

4) Marketing your product or service – Stick with three to five marketing platforms till you have mastered them. Then start adding more.

The best strategy for business success is to be a good listener. Listen to your target market and be first in line to answer their questions and provide solutions to their problems.

(I’ll be curious to read what you think a pigeonhole post is!)

Filed Under: Blogging, Business Plan, Following Your Passion, Making money on the internet, Online Marketing, Organize Your Online Business Tagged With: Blogging, Business Success Formula, Internet business success, Marketing your services online, Organizing, Planning

How Often Do You Shoe A Goose?

By Melanie Kissell 12 Comments

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Are you familiar with the saying, “Shoe a Goose”?

If not, hold on a minute and I’ll get to that.

I think if I tried to shoe a goose, it would take me all day. It might even take me two or three days.

First of all, I’d have to catch the goose, and I’m sure that’s not easy.

And then I’d have to find a way to pin it down and keep it still. Once again, not so easy to do and might take me hours.

Next I’d have to try to figure out how to get a shoe to fit over a webbed foot. At best, that’s got to be tricky.

By that time, I’d be so tired, I’d probably let go of the goose and then I’d have to start all over again.

So what does “Shoe a Goose” mean, anyway?

It means “Engaging in a fruitless task”. After all, geese don’t wear shoes and they don’t need shoes! So trying to put one on a goose is fruitless.

As you work to build your business throughout the week, how often do you shoe a goose?

How often are you checking phone messages, reading your emails, cleaning off your desk, going to the kitchen for another cup of coffee (or another chocolate donut), playing with the dog, shuffling papers, downloading music, shopping online, looking at interesting videos on You Tube … the list could go on … and on.

None of these kinds of activities will help you make money or move your business forward.

So stop trying to put a shoe on a goose – And get busy doing something that will make you some money!

Filed Under: Making money on the internet, Online Marketing, Organize Your Online Business Tagged With: Internet business success, Marketing your services online, Organizing, Planning

If This Old Lady Can Do It, So Can You

By Melanie Kissell 13 Comments

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I turned a half a hundred seven years ago (all of you math wizards have now figured out my age). Sorry. There’s no prize involved.

Let’s just say I’ve “been around the block” a time or two and I have a fair amount of life experience under my belt. I know the difference between right and wrong and I’ve learned that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

I decided to become an independent business owner and online marketer after spending almost four decades in the offline working world. That’s okay. I believe it’s never too late to follow your passion and design a life that’s right for you.

So, if you’re not moving forward in your business or you’re still sitting on the fence about getting started, what’s holding you back?

Is it that you’re not sure how to put together a business plan? (A short and simple plan is all you need). Or is it that you think you have to spend money to market your business? (Not true! – You can market on a $0 budget).

Maybe you’re resisting because you lack some necessary skills (Don’t worry a bit – there’s lots of resources and easy action steps to follow).

Take it from this old lady …

There’s no better time than today to live your passion and purpose – profitably!

What questions can I answer for you today that will help you get started or move you closer to your goals as a small business owner?

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Filed Under: Blogging, Business Plan, Following Your Passion, Online Marketing, Small business owners, Starting Out Small Tagged With: Blogging, Free marketing tools, Internet business success, Marketing your services online, Organizing, Planning, Shoestring Marketing

Three Great Business Tips

By Melanie Kissell Leave a Comment

Many people say they want to get rich in Internet Marketing but very few actually do it. Of course there are many reasons why one person might succeed or fail. However, there are general principles you must follow if you want to be successful.

Here are three tips that can go a long way toward helping you achieve the Online Success you deserve.

1. Always Do What’s Best for Your Business

This tip encompasses all the other ideas. Obviously everything you do should be what’s best for your company. Yet many people too often forget about this. The forgetting usually happens when people let their own feelings get in the way.

For example, you may get mad at someone online (a customer or someone else) and decide to tell them off. Before you do something like this you need to ask yourself: Will this do my business any good? If it won’t then don’t do it. Do not hurt your business just to gain some temporary satisfaction.

2. Take Care of Your Customers

Repeat after me: “The Customer is always right. The customer is always right.”

Of course, the customer is hardly ever right. But when you begin to think about not treating your customer well, remember: “The customer is always right.”

If you treat a customer poorly you can bet that person will go and tell at least 10 other people. So not only would you have lost that one person as a future repeat customer but you’ve also lost 10 other potential customers.

3. Always Have a Plan

The last of the three great business tips is that you must always have a plan, otherwise you will fail. It’s as simple as that.

Trying to make it in any business without a plan would be like trying to go from New York City to Los Angeles without any maps or road signs.

Be sure to know what you need to do each day and know what you’re trying to accomplish long-term as well. That way you’ll always be able to keep yourself moving forward toward your goals.

If you want to make it in Internet Marketing then you must always do what’s best for your business, take care of your customers, and always have a plan. If you start by following these three great business tips then you will be well on your way to a successful Internet Marketing career.

If you’re serious about running your business online, then you need to get organized for success. With all you have to do, it’s critical that you maximize your time. That’s why I highly recommend Organize Your Online Business. These time-tested tools have helped me run my business online for the past 8 years – and they’ll help your business as well!

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with new Online Business Owners to help them create Online Success. She provides a complimentary 20-minute workshop at Organize Your Online Business.

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Filed Under: Business Plan, Customer Care, Organize Your Online Business Tagged With: Customer Care, Online Success, Organizing, Planning

A Free 2010 Blogging Calendar and Planner For You

By Melanie Kissell Leave a Comment

Don’t you just hate it when you really need to update your blog and draw a blank? Well, one of the best ways to jump start those creative juices is to simply look at the calendar. How simple is that?

Every month, week, and day, there are some really strange and downright funny holidays and observances celebrated everywhere. In fact, you can even make up your own ‘holiday’ to celebrate on your blog with your readers – that’s how easy it is to come up with days of posts at a time. But you don’t have to make it up yourself. It’s hard enough coming up with a post. Here’s a blogging calendar I found that features some of these holidays. The other nice thing is, it has room to jot down your own ideas and you can use it to literally plan out the year’s content – or just a month or two ahead if you’re not the planning type. This really helps keep your blog going without rushing to write last minute posts.

Check it out for yourself. I bet you can find a couple of posts just off those dates you can write about. In fact, you can write about them right away and schedule them. Your readers will have fun and marvel at how you are so on top of the holidays and seasons.

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