Are You Planning For Your Business to Fail ... Without Even Realizing It?

by Debbie LaChusa

There's a saying that goes "If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail."

I realize no small business owner sets an intention to fail, but that's just what many do every day when they launch their small business without a marketing plan.

As a marketing coach and trainer, I see them everyday: People who are so excited about opening their own business. They're working hard. They're dedicated. They have a great product or service, and a small handful of clients who love them.

But They're Missing One Key Ingredient

An ingredient that could very likely determine their success or failure.

They don't have a marketing plan. They're out there "winging it" every day. Oh sure, they're marketing. They're doing a little bit of marketing here, and a little more there.

But what's guiding that marketing? What are they trying to achieve? Of course they're trying to get more clients or make more sales. But without a plan they're typically just working toward short-term goals.

So what's so bad about that?  You've got to get clients and make sales this month to pay the bills, right? You can always worry about next month or next year when you get there, right?  WRONG!

Short-Term Goals Won't Sustain Your Business Long-Term

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, 80% of all new businesses fail within the first five years.

In "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber, he talks about a common mistake made by most small business owners: that mistake is working IN their business instead of ON their business. So what's the difference?

Are You Working IN Your Business Instead of ON It?

Without a plan you are working IN your business. You get up everyday and do what needs to be done to make today's clients happy, to fulfill today's sales orders and if you have time you spend a little time trying to get tomorrow's new clients.

But, if you choose to do as Michael Gerber recommends and work ON your business, one of the first things you should do is create a marketing plan.

Identify what you want to achieve with your business in the next year, then set some goals and create a plan to achieve those goals.

When you have a marketing plan, you have a step-by-step map to reaching your goals. And when you take the time to work ON your plan as well as work IN your business you are focusing on creating long-term success while you're servicing the daily needs of your business and clients.

Having a plan is the only way I know to maintain your focus on long-term success and know what daily steps you need to take to achieve that success.

A Marketing Plan Does Not Have To Be A Big, Thick Document

If you don't have a marketing plan, now's a great time to create one. And if you're concerned your plan needs to be a document as thick as the Bible, let me put you at ease. It absolutely does NOT need to be. Your plan may only be a couple of pages.

The key is to make sure it addresses your goals and a step by step plan to achieve them. And The 10stepmarketing System can help you do just that, in a simple, step-by-step manner that makes it easy. You can learn about this unique system here.

(C) Copyright 2006 Debbie LaChusa

Learn over 100 more small business marketing tips and techniques you can use to market your own business on a shoestring budget with The 10stepmarketing System. Click here to learn more about this unique, step-by-step, question-and-answer program that makes it easy to successfully market your own business.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to make marketing your own business as simple as answering 10 questions. Learn more about this unique, step-by-step system and get a free Marketing Mini-Course when you subscribe to the free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine at http://www.10stepmarketing.com

NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article as long as you make no changes and you include the "About the Author" information at the end.  Please let me know if and where you use this article by emailing me.

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