Infographic: Building a Solid Business Plan

While having a powerful idea is often the first step towards launching a new business or venture, forging a business plan is a critical component of making that idea a reality!  Before you start a new business, or attempt to sell it to anyone, you must first put organize your thoughts and chart your course of action via a solid business plan!

Washington State University created a helpful infographic that details 10 guidelines to help prospective entrepreneurs organize their thoughts and wow potential investors.

The infographic begins by outlining some major questions aspiring  business owners and CEOS need to ask – What problem is my business going to solve?  What’s my company’s mission?  What do we do better than anyone else in the market?  But that’s just the beginning!

A thorough business plan also includes who your target demographic is, the conditions of the market you’re entering into, and accounts for worst-case scenarios. And of course, there’s the money – including seed money, funding, and small business loans.

As evidenced by this infographic, a solid business plan not only serves as the cornerstone of your business but also the roadmap to your business’ success.  And they’re not just for start-ups!  Established businesses can also benefit from revisiting their business plans and making adjustments at 1, 3, and 5 year intervals.

Please take a look at the infographic below and contact us should you have any questions.  CMarie Consulting is here to help you with all of your business planning and marketing needs!

 

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231525

Social Media Tips and Strategies

Whether you love it or loathe it, one thing is certain…social media is here to stay!

Over the past several years, social media has steadily become one of the most invaluable, low-cost branding tools.  However, many businesses do not know how to properly leverage social media to bolster their brand and their online presence.

Here are some tips and strategies to help you grow your social media following:

1. Frequency and consistency matter!  While many businesses create social media accounts, just having a page is not enough.  In order to grow your page, it’s important to frequently post helpful content and timely information.  It’s also important to be consistent!
2. There is such a thing as too much.  While friends and followers like to see posts and updates, they don’t want their newsfeeds taken over by any one page or company.  Nor do they want businesses to hard sell them!  The key is to provide useful information and engage with your current and perspective clients in a more meaningful way.  Posting too much, too often, will likely result is friends and followers unfriending and unfollowing you, or simply turning you off.
3. Art direction matters.  Photos are incredibly powerful and generally garner the highest levels of engagement.  Quality photos don’t just happen though, they take work. When posting company candids or product images, be sure to stage the picture so viewers aren’t distracted by unwanted images (such as a messy desk or dirty break room).  It’s also important to post high quality, high resolution images.  No one wants to view a pixelated or unfocused image!
4. Quality over quantity.  Don’t just post to post.  Post helpful information and timely content.  That way your friends and followers will look forward to your next post(s) rather than become blind to them.
5. Be authentic with your point of view.  While all social media campaigns require some degree of strategy, the word choice and image style should be somewhat organic to who you (and your brand) are and what you represent.
6. Don’t be afraid to get personal.  A great social media profile is 80% professional and 20% social. Your social feed should be like a snowflake—uniquely you. Show your work or product and display your expertise, but don’t be afraid to show the personal side of your company.  Including images from employee events or company functions is a great way to showcase your company’s personality and set yourself apart from your competitors.
7. Stay consistent.  Though we touched upon this in the first point, we believe this concept deserves its own line item. We can’t overstate the importance of being consistent!  Whether you post daily, multiple times per day, or multiple times per week, it’s important to be consistent.  Creating a social media calendar is a great way to ensure your posting remains consistent.
8. You don’t have to master everything.  There are a variety of social media platforms from which to choose but you don’t necessarily have to utilize all of them.  Each social platform caters to a different demographic and various need. While the available options include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Plus, Tumbler, Instagram, Blogs and more, the best strategy is to utilize the social media networks you find are the most helpful for you and your business.

To learn more about social media marketing and discuss how you can better utilize social media for your business, please contact us!  CMarie Consulting can help you optimize your online presence by developing social media and social marketing strategies.  We offer a variety of social media marketing solutions and we’d love to help you with your campaigns!