1. MISSION STATEMENT

What is the MISSION of your business?

What business are you in?

What main market are you addressing?

(Objective, not subjective)

2. GOALS & OBJECTIVES

What broad results do you want to achieve?

Establish short and long-term goals to achieve the results.

For each goal, specific objectives that you will implement to achieve success.

3. MARKET RESEARCH

Who is your competition?

What is the overall business environment like now?

What are the projections for the future?

What internal & external factors affect your business?

What are your strengths & weaknesses?

Who/what are potential markets, once discovered

Target New Services, Fill Gaps in the marketplace.

4. SEGMENT THE MARKET

Based on data gathered, subdivide the marketplace into distinct parts which merit our marketing efforts.

Identify select segments by their characteristics (demographics and pschographics) obtained in the data-gathering

• Target Markets
• Secondary Markets

5. TARGET MARKETING

Set priorities.

Who are the primary (target) and secondary markets your business can service effectively. Which offer the greatest opportunity for your business as a whole?

6. MARKET POSITIONS

How is your business perceived?

What do people think of the Products/services offered?

What makes you UNIQUE from your competition?

What is your U.S.P.*, based on a long-term plan for exclusivity and distinctiveness.

7. MARKET STRATEGIES

What specific actions will be taken to reach selected target markets?

What media will be taken, to get your message out? (MARKETING MIX)

Do your copy and ideas communicate your USP* to your market?

(Objectivity and clearly)

8. BUDGETING

Include all direct and indirect expenses.

An Average of 5% to 7% of gross sales are used for marketing & advertising

Generally allocate over a 12 month planning phase, and a 12 month implementation phase (depending on the nature of your business).

9. DEVELOP A TIMELINE

Outline each phase of the planning process, over specific time frames and dates.

If needed, add a second timeline for marketing to secondary markets.

10. CONTROLS

Measure the performance of your plan against the expected outcome.

Provide directions to adjust for deviations and variances.