Vision Based Business Plan

All companies should have an exit strategy whether or not they plan to sell. Unfortunately for many small business owners, that is just closing their doors. If you follow this...

At this stage, the company cannot simply add money and staff. The informal, entrepreneurial style of management needs to be changed. Now defined organizational roles and responsibilities are needed along...

The most important function of a business is to generate a profit, a business is just like a tree if it doesn’t grow it dies. As a business grows new...

In a new venture, the owner becomes a “jack of all trades” and is faced with validating the business and creating a solid foundation for future growth. This is where...

All businesses have to grow in order to survive. Knowing what to expect in the different stages of growth will enable you to stay ahead of the game by anticipating...

Recurring income is a subscription business model. It’s not new; actually, it has been in existence for hundreds of years. I believe that just about any type of organization can...

“Traction is basically quantitative evidence of customer demand.”  Traction is a sign that your company is taking off. I define traction as proof that your marketing efforts are paying off....

Current and past customers are the best prospects for more sales and referrals. The key is to not over “touch” them so that you become a nuisance. Yes, it is...

It takes an average of 8 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Prospecting is hard and most of us hate it. But if you give up on a prospect after too few attempts, you are...

As small business owners, we often get mired down in the details of running a business on the operations side. After all, without creating, selling and delivering products or services...

A pitch deck is a summary (and I recommend using a visual format) of your business. It provides the following information:  who and why you are; the problem that exists...

Technology has given us a great tool to use as we strive to get seen and be heard. A few tools include the use of blogs, web sites, e-newsletters, marketing...

The world of print marketing encompasses a wide variety of options. The proper use of your branding material should be displayed on all your print media. Let’s look at a...

Public relations can be defined as the practice of managing communication between you as an individual and the public. A news release that you sent out and gets printed in the...

I prefer the Strategic Duck name for this, GiveWorking (you must first give before other will give you). Meeting people is one of the most important marketing tools you have....

This refers to the way you look. Follow these simple rules: Always dress as if you are going to meet a customer Make your logo visible on your wearing apparel...

Human touch marketing is still the most effective marketing method for small businesses. Remember, you are the best billboard for your business – use yourself effectively.

The term “time management” is a fallacy – time cannot be managed. That is why I call it self-time management there are 24 hours a day, 60 minutes lin an...

Operations is the work of managing the inner workings of your business so it runs as efficiently as possible. Whether you make products, sell products, or provide services, every small business owner has to oversee...

Every business, no matter what its stage of development, requires some form of a control system. The term control is defined as the process of influencing the behavior of those...

There are eight essential components that constitute the foundation that a business needs in order to achieve profitability and sustainability. Knowing the How and Why of a Database is one...

Your business name impacts your entire brand. Make it short and simple, make it memorable and make it easy to pronounce and spell. Colors have a significant impact on people’s...

Branding is the rock upon which you build your business; it is the communication of characteristics, values, and attributes that clarify what this particular brand is and the emotional connections...

Working from home is a double-edged sword. On the plus side, the most obvious benefit is a lower overhead. The negative side has to do with discipline: Can you work...

One of the most important but very necessary decisions that has to be made at the start of a small business venture is the creation of a legal entity. Choices...

Setting the budget for a business involves planning the income and expenditures. This is usually broken down into months so that the planned budget and actual figures can be compared....

Knowing how to price a product or service is one of the most important financial issues that any business must understand. If a small business owner does not know the...

When I start work with a new client one of the first questions I ask is to review their current budget and financial record-keeping system. Unfortunately, many small business owners...

When it comes to growing a business, finances play a major role. Financial capabilities means that you are aware of the funds available to invest in your business, not only...

Every promise that is made has to be delivered to your customers. They are going to want to know how you plan on delivering on your promise. As an example,...

Your promise is a value or experience that your customers can expect to receive every single time they interact with your company. It is the pledge upon which you build...

A Value Proposition is a unique message to your target market that conveys the main reason why they should buy from you. It describes the overall perceived value of your...

No one business can “be everything to everyone”. During its first growth stage, from its inception to revenue of a million dollars, accurately identifying and validating your target market is...

You know what product or service you are offering to your target market. It is important to have a concise but complete description of what is. It could be described...

Storytelling is one of the most powerful marketing tools in a business owners’ toolkit. A story is something that you share with your target market as well as anyone that...

You may know WHAT you do and HOW you do it, but the most important thing is to know WHY you are doing it. Your WHY is the most important...

Your Vision is a statement that refers to where an organization wants to be in the future. Before you begin the writing process you have to first remove all limitations...

Every person has their own unique vision, therefore, no one planning process will fit all business types and needs. Strategic Duck has developed a proprietary planning process which starts with...