Ready, Shoot, Aim?

I'm an archer (and I shoot on the pistol range too). You learn when you're standing there with a dangerous piece of equipment in your hands that could hurt someone else if you don't shoot it properly, that you need to take your time, slow your breathing, take aim and then let it go. Hopefully, it will hit the target where you want it to go. But if you just take up the gun or the bow and shoot, without aiming, the result might not be too pleasant.

Marketing is really the same: if you do it right, you hit the target -- maybe even get a bullseye. But if you don't take your time, find the right market, and aim your presentations at that target, then you are shooting everywhere at once, and much of what you hit will be nowhere near where you want it to be.

Even for businesses that have been around for a while, and have their marketing plans already in place, it doesn't hurt to take some time to look over those plans, make changes where necessary and even, perhaps, take a look around and see if there maybe something new you could do to laser in a bit on who you want to sell to.

Spend some time going over your plan. Who is your target market? Has that changed over time? Is the market you're targeting good for your company, or perhaps the sight is not quite true and you're missing the bullseye all together?

Once you are confident about your target market, then you can look at the different ways to market: how about direct mail? Does that still work? What about social media? How long does that take? By looking at the way your target customers like being marketed to, then you can play to those likes and WHAM! You've just hit the bullseye! Congratulations!

What do small business owners want most?

That's an interesting question, and one that I've been struggling with for a while now. I know what I want as a small biz owner -- I want people to buy my services. I want to have an increase in my bottom line, and I want help figuring out how to get it. Sound familiar? This blog is an interactive one guys: I really want your suggestions and ideas here, so please feel free to answer me.

I've been an entrepreneur since I was 11 years old. I started out selling crafts (potholders, macrome, knit sweaters, etc.) -- things my family made and then we sold. I babysat for a lot of families in the area and my first "teaching" gig was with the neighborhood kids in the summer where we had a play afternoon, a couple of days a week. I've never stopped teaching since.

My most recent teaching position is as the Executive Director of the Strategic Small Business Initiative -- an organization based in Richland, MI that creates programs for small businesses to help them grow and increase revenues through training programs, mastermind groups, relationship building, marketing, and support services. I've worked hard on putting programs together and people seem to like them a lot. But I wonder if what I'm offering is what you want? We have recently started a six month program on marketing and our first month has been looking at target markets and marketing plans. Before you can create a marketing plan, before you really can focus on your business, you need to know who it is you want to sell to and work with. The old saying "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there" is true. To be truly successful, you have to have a plan. And to have a plan, you have to know who your customer is. The final aspect to that question is, okay, now, what does that customer want you to sell them?

As small business owners, do you feel like you're alone? Are you looking for knowledge to help you know how to deal with a particular situation, or a growth question? Would you like to have a board of directors to share your business challenges and successes with? What is it that you want, and need but can't do by yourself? These are the things that I want to provide to you, my members. So, please think about it, and get me your questions and comments. It will help us all -- I guarantee it.