MARKETING INSIDER
Future-Proofing Your Small Business for Success in 2024 and Beyond
With 2024 just weeks away, now (yes now) is the time to prepare your small business for future success. In fact, planning should have started months ago, but I'm a procrastinator and in an effort to change my ways (and yours), this blog discusses the importance of having a strategic plan, key components of the plan, and best practices for implementation, ensuring your small business' lasting success well beyond 2024. Visit this link to access previous blogs and this link to subscribe to the Marketing Insider.
Why have a strategic plan?
A strategic plan serves as a roadmap for where you want to take your business in terms of defining goals for the year, as well as what actions need to occur to meet those goals. Since everything is subject to change, the plan is a "working document" where adjustments can be made throughout the year.
Key components of the plan.
2023 Recap. Review marketing efforts that produced positive outcomes and amplify them in 2024. For efforts that produced negative outcomes, revisit them to see what went wrong and consider adjustments for 2024 or drop them altogether.
2024 Goals. Define clear and achievable goals. Your specific goals will depend on where you are with your business, but for all businesses the two goals that should be top-of-mind include: (a) increasing revenue from existing clients and (b) acquiring new clients.
Action Items. What action items will help you achieve these goals? For instance, to increase revenue from existing clients, one option is to send select clients a survey to get more intel on their plans (and challenges) for the year that may align with your services.
Best practices for implementation.
Keep It Simple. A simple plan is of course easier to implement, translating into a plan that you can actually achieve.
Be Consistent. I've said this before, but it's worth repeating: consistency is key. Without consistency, you have no brand which weakens your reputation. When was the last time you hired someone with a weak reputation?
Assess and Adjust. Regularly assess your efforts to see what works best and what doesn't and adjust accordingly.
Work with a Consultant. If you don't have time or expertise to address the above, hiring an experienced marketing consultant to help you prepare and implement your plan is a game changer. Think of it this way: if you spend $1,000 on a consultant and that plan results in you acquiring three new clients who bring in a combined $6,000, then that's money well spent.
With your plan in hand, future planning becomes a breeze, requiring only assessment and adjustments--when necessary--to keep you and your business on track for success.
This is the last Marketing Insider blog for 2023.
I hope these blogs provided you with useful and
practical tips to grow your business.
Enjoy the holidays, and we'll reconnect in the New Year!
Need help? Let Remote Marketing Solutions serve as your marketing resource partner.
When you’re ready to get started, please contact us at 240.259.9883 or help@rmsllc.biz to schedule a consultation.