Brand Talk Marketing

5 Tips for Creating Your Own Business Plan

Terri — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:37:58 +0000

Do you have business plan? As an entrepreneur or small business owner it can be tempting to postpone those pesky back office tasks, like creating or updating your business plan. Creating a business plan during startup phase is best, but it is never to late to put your goals and strategy down on paper. Writing your own business plan isn’t as intimidating as you might think, here are 5 tips to help you get started:

1. Set short and long-term goals. It’s great to know where you want to be by the end of the year, but where do you want to be 5 years from now?

2. Don’t outsource, write your own plan. Going through the process will help you to refine your business strategy and objectives.

3. Make adjustments. Your business plan is a living, evolving document. Revisit it regularly to adapt to changing client needs and business goals.

4. Share. Keep a simple one page summary of your plan outlining your key products and services and how they align to your target market needs & business objectives. This can be shared with business partners, affiliates, and new employees to give a snapshot of your business.

5. Aim high. Don’t be afraid to tackle those big dreams, putting them down on paper is the first step. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.”–Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

If you are ready to get started with your business plan, or already have one in need of a refresh, just google “free business plan templates” or try this free template from Microsoft: Business Plan for a Startup Business. Have a favorite template? Please share it here!

Tell Your Story with Client Case Studies

Terri — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:07:46 +0000

Looking for creative ways to spread the word about your business? From a prospects point of view one of the most compelling and credible forms of marketing is client testimonials. For busy entrepreneurs, client testimonials are buried treasure. They can be as simple as one or two quotes from a satisfied client strategically positioned on the About page on your website, or you can go a step further and create a one page Customer Success Story summarizing the specific business results and value received from your services, in the voice of a delighted customer.

With a little creativity you can leverage client testimonials in several ways. One page client success stories provide a quick reference to share on your website or blog (like we have done here in our portfolio.) Or, for longer or larger engagements you might consider creating a 2-to-3 page Customer Case Study that is useful for including in future client proposals, or handing out at trade shows.

So remember, the next time you receive a compliment or thank-you from a satisfied client, ask for permission to tell their story and share it with your audience. Client testimonials are your marketing treasure… and it’s a win-win…people like to tell their story, and who doesn’t want a little free publicity?

Tampa Pet Nanny Customer Success Story

Urban Cat Store Customer Success Story

IBM Customer Success Story

Gulf Coast Office Support Facebook Customization

Terri — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:15:04 +0000

Gulf Coast Office Support already had a Facebook presence when they contacted Brand Talk to create a customized landing page to welcome new visitors.

Brand Talk Marketing designed a Welcome Page that reflects the clients brand and threw in a few extras like a Client Testimonial Page and a Newsletter Subscription Form.