| Success is in the Planning | | | | dies. |
| Be the value it takes to achieve the success | | | | What will your store front look like? |
| "Start with the desired end results in mind" | | | | Merchandising is everything. I have designed |
| What will your business look like in the end? | | | | merchandising venues that offered the customer an |
| “If you don’t know where you’re | | | | easy, but fun walk thru the store by arranging furniture |
| going, you’ll probably end up somewhere | | | | into vignettes of three or in an island formation. This will |
| else.” David Campbell PhD | | | | give the store a feel of openness, organization and |
| The Wright Brothers, Leonardo Di Vinci, Tucker Donald | | | | flow. If your storefront does not afford the luxury of a |
| Trump, Thomas Edison and Jesus all saw what could | | | | fun floor plan, then make it as user Friendly as possible |
| be before it existed. Most people are of the mindset | | | | so it is easy for the customer to find merchandise. |
| that they won’t believe it until they see it. The | | | | What will your website tell the customer to do? |
| fact is you won’t see it until you believe it in | | | | I have visited many websites that were either poorly |
| your own mind first. | | | | designed because it did not tell me what to do or at |
| The same goes for your business. Create a picture of | | | | least tell me how they could help me. I spent months |
| what it should be like and then design it to look and feel | | | | designing my website concept to say the right things |
| like the design. Design your business with this question | | | | based on my advertising plan. It is Key to your |
| in mind, where could my business be in two years? | | | | advertising and business presence that they be |
| Most businesses fail within the first year because of | | | | congruent with each other. |
| the lack of planning. I have been there and done that. I | | | | Who will be connecting with customers out in the |
| won’t be so short sighted again. | | | | Field? |
| I started my plan with the end results in mind in the | | | | Warm up conversation is very important when your |
| areas of purpose, How much income and by when, | | | | field person goes to connect with the customer at their |
| how many customers, what type of customers and | | | | home. I learned to sneak peeks at wall hangings, |
| the details of my services; but I work my business one | | | | children’s clothes or sports equipment to give |
| day at a time, one brochure at a time, one phone call | | | | me some common ground to talk about before I |
| at time, and one follow-up at a time. | | | | shared my product or service with the customer. It |
| It is very important that you know where you want | | | | makes the customer feel more at ease and |
| your business to end up at, but work it from where | | | | comfortable. |
| you are today! | | | | Will you have daily or weekly cash flow? |
| Food For Thought | | | | I believe the number one reason why small businesses |
| "If it were EASY to start up a successful new | | | | fail is because the Business Owner treats it like a job |
| business, then everybody would be doing it and then it | | | | in combination with not understanding the principles of |
| would be worth the equivalent of flippin' burgers at | | | | money management. I for one have learned this the |
| your local McDonald's - a minimum wage job." | | | | hard way via bankruptcy – which was mentally |
| Jim Rohrbach | | | | and emotionally draining. |
| “The Entrepreneurial Model does not start with a | | | | Who does business with you? |
| picture of the business to be created, but of the | | | | Medical professionals, dentists, architects, financial |
| customer for whom the business is to be created | | | | planners, mill workers, other business owners, investors, |
| for.” Michael Gerber | | | | military, managers, retiree’s, Who? My point is if |
| “To The Entrepreneur, the business is the | | | | you don’t have a picture of who your customer |
| product and the customer is the opportunity.” | | | | is then you will spend money on advertising trying to |
| Michael Gerber | | | | attract the wrong customer. |
| How many customers will you be able to service? | | | | Food For Thought |
| “Once you have invested the time and made | | | | If you offer business services, you want to target |
| the efforts necessary to build a high-quality, | | | | businesses. You would not advertise your business |
| trust-based relationship with your customer, you must | | | | services geared for business professionals in the |
| maintain that relationship for the life of your business. | | | | thrifty ads, you would advertise in your local |
| You must never take it for granted.” Brian | | | | newspapers business section, local business journal or |
| Tracy | | | | using the Yahoo Search Market where you can target |
| What will your net income be? | | | | your customer. |
| Start simple. Based on whether you offer products or | | | | “Why Businesses Fail. It's because they don't |
| services figure out what you need to take home on a | | | | know how to succeed. They haven't the slightest idea |
| weekly basis and then calculate how much product | | | | how to make a business successful. They may have |
| you need to sell or services you need to render - | | | | an idea for a product or service, but they don't know |
| minus your expenses and taxes to meet your net | | | | all the things that they need to know to run a |
| income plan. Do not sell your self short on budgeting. | | | | successful business. |
| This is what determines whether your business lives or | | | | |