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The HOME BUSINESS REPORT is published online by WizInfo CBCS Minneapolis
   Serving small/home-based business and the Minnesota film industry.
         612-721-8859   FidoNet 1:282/2022   AmberNet 105:612/1
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HOME BUSINESS REPORT
'TIS THE SEASON TO REVIEW...
By Michelle J. Bloom
With fall here and winter on its way, it's a great time to
seriously and critically do some work with your business goals. 
Getting critical about your business and marketing plan as well
as your sales materials once a year is an important part of
staying current with your goals.  You can then be assured that
everything is on track.    
Business Plan.  Take a look at your business plan, if you don't
have one yet, now is a good time to begin writing it.  Even if
you are not seeking traditional funding, I would still suggest
going through the process.  The business plan is ultimately your
plan of action.  Throughout the year, you can look to this
document for direction.  Use it as a road map.  If you have a
business plan, you have been working with it throughout the year
and now is a good time to get critical.  What haven't you
accomplished that you might push hard for the next 6 months?  Is
there anything that just doesn't work any longer?  Now that you
are acting on the plan and have learned so much, you are taking a
bit of a different direction that you could not have foreseen
earlier.  If so, make those changes.  There is ample help, free
or otherwise, to assist you in the process of making the changes
or helping you to write the plan.
Marketing.  This a very important part of your business plan. 
This is how you reach out to potential clientele so they know who
you are and what you do.  The marketing plan is more of a living,
breathing document than the business plan.  The marketing plan is
something you work on extensively throughout the year.  You want
to be marketing all the time even though you may be busy.  While
you work with it, you will be adding marketing vehicles as you
learn about new ones.  But it is at this time of year that you
get truly critical.  Is the marketing plan working?  Are the
marketing vehicles you are using really bringing in business? 
One easy way to tell what is working best for you is to track
every person who calls you; where did they hear about you?  An
ad? A seminar you gave? Some publicity you received?  When you
add each individual vehicle up, you will know how to best reach
your target audience.  Take the time to clean up and print out
your revised marketing plan.  Look at your calendar and decide
when you will do each vehicle; the vehicle that you do on a
continuous basis should be in list form at the beginning of every
month so that when you get to the month, you can schedule them
into each week.  This is the best way to be assured that you are
always marketing.  
Sales Materials.  Throughout the year, no doubt, you have been
looking at your sales materials; sending them to potential
clientele, colleagues, gatekeepers and the like.  You most likely
are not being critical of them, however.  It is at this time that
you sit down and read what the materials say, asking yourself if
everything is still described in the best possible way.  Or,
maybe you are ready to add a new service.  Make all the necessary
changes and send everything off to the printer.  If, during the
year someone has suggested a change, evaluate if this change can
wait until October when you know you will be doing this type of
work.  If it is a major change however, sit down and make all
changes at that time.  By revisiting your business plan,
marketing plan and sales materials the same time every year, you
are assured that everything is in good shape.  
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Michelle J. Bloom is founder of Creative Business Consulting, a homebased
and small business consulting firm and resource center.  You  may contact 
her with your questions and comments at (612)722.2213 or by e-mail at
michelle.j.bloom@wizinfo.com.
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This article first appeared in print in SOUTHSIDE PRIDE.
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