Archive for October, 2009

Business Strategy versus Tactics

When it comes to running your own business, everyone seems to have a plan to make you successful. You can read and study and even mimic the greats but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will succeed. To really rock the business world, you need both strategy and tactics that work and you need them to work effectively together. This is where many people in business fail because they miss one or both parts of this equation. A better understanding of strategy and tactics as well as how they work together will help you prepare properly for your business.
Your strategy is the plan of action you want to take to achieve success in your business. Your business tactics are the specific steps you take to achieve those goals. It is important that you know and understand the difference between the two and how they are applied to business. When it comes to your business, before you start any marketing or advertising campaign, you need to have a strategy and you need to implement that strategy into your techniques.
What is Strategy?
Your strategy is the act of creating decisions that will benefit the future outcome of your business. Strategy is the set of directions you make or your situation and position within the business community. Strategy often also refers to your timing in the marketplace and strategically choosing the most beneficial time to launch your business or your campaign.
1. Strategy is your overall goal in your business.

2. Strategy is your standing within the marketplace.

3. Strategy is your position in your niche.
What are Tactics?
Tactics should work with your strategy and they are the set of requirements need for your plan to take place. Your tactic is your device used for meeting your goals set by your strategy. Strategy and tactics should always be relative to one another because the tactics are the set of actions needed to fulfill your strategy.
1. Tactics are the tools you use to achieve your goals.

2. Tactics include things like advertising and marketing.

3. Tactics are the steps taken to achieve your goals.
Strategy vs. Tactics
To be successful in your business, you need to have a plan and a strategy. This strategy will include your goals and objectives for your business. They may be short term and long term. You will need to have a goal for where you want to be with your business in the future. Your tactics are what you will use to ensure that plan happens as it should.
If your plan is to have x amount of sales by x date, then you need to have tactics that will help you carry out that goal. You don’t want to just run wildly into your business hoping that luck will be in your favor and you will succeed. You need to have a direct set of directions and plans for meeting each goal. Your strategy will include many goals and you will want to have a tactical plan for meeting each and every one of them. These tactics will be step-by-step directions on how to meet each business goal. With proper planning and strategy and tactics that work together, you can be a business success story.

Doug Brown uses his 20 plus years of business building experiences to educate people and businesses on how to dramatically increase their revenues. Find out how you can dramatically increase your income or your company’s revenue at their website which is at http://www.whatisyourplan.com/.

Ice Cream Truck Business Plan -get One Written From Scratch

Ice Cream Truck Business Plan -Get One Written from Scratch
by Jenn Fraiser

If you are looking for information on how to develop an ice cream truck business plan, then you will want to read this article.  This article will discuss the importance of having a business plan that is written from scratch.  What you’ll see is that many plans are not written from scratch.

If you have a plan that is written from scratch, it will appear to your investors as if it is a unique plan.  A plan that was modified from the another food business plan will surely sound vague and it will be unlikely that you will get the money they need.

Many Business Plans on the Web were not Designed for Your Business

If you like many business people, you will go to the Internet in order to purchase an ice cream business plan.  And you will find that many of the business plans were not written from scratch.  Searching for “ice cream truck business plan” will give you many sites that will appear to be selling a unique business plan; however, they are sold among dozens if not hundreds of other plans.

You can be sure that these plans will all have a familiar tone to each other.   For example, one ice cream truck plan that was detailed had the word “taco” in it where ice cream should have occurred.  No one was starting a taco truck business!  This is plainly unhelpful.

Investors Want to See a Business Plan Written from Scratch

A uniquely customized business plan will appear professional to those from whom you are seeking a loan.  In order to get the money that you need to start your business, it’s obviously necessary that you must have  enough money to get the proper equipment.

You must have an excellent ice cream truck business plan!  If you have a plan that is written from scratch, it will appear unique and professional.  Your investors will love it!

A Business Plan Modified from Another is Not Clear

The business plans that you can purchase on the web, most of which are not written from scratch, are not clear.  They are often way too vague to be helpful in giving clear direction to you or to your investors.  What you need is a plan that gives specific up-to-date information and one that you can easily modify.  If the plan is vague and unclear, you can be sure that your investors will think it is, too.

If you need an ice cream truck business plan, then go this web page to determine which ice cream truck business plan is the best for you.

Motivation Means Presence Not Presents

Let me ask you a quick question; do you have any children? I don’t have any children, however, I appreciate the challenges that parents face and I’m most reluctant to tell anyone how to bring up their children.

Whether you do or don’t have children, I’m certain you appreciate the importance of raising them to be happy and successful.
To do that, you’d take a great deal of interest in them and what they’re doing; show you care about them and give them lots of your time and attention.

Children show us from an early age that they want lots of attention. We become aware of this by the way they physically and emotionally, reach out to us. If we fail to provide their required level of attention or acknowledgement, then they’ll almost certainly let us know; usually by behaving badly.

Some parents have difficulty in giving time and attention and often bribe or pay their children to be successful with offers of gifts or money. “Pass your exams and I’ll buy you a new bicycle!” However, children want presence not presents and if they fail to receive their acceptable level of attention and acknowledgement, then they may behave badly.

Not a lot changes when we become adults; we still crave attention and acknowledgement from other people. We look for it from our partners, friends, children, parents and, very importantly – our boss at work!

Successful Motivational Managers realise this and provide their staff with attention and acknowledgement.

They spend quality time with every member of their staff, giving feedback on job performance; be it good or bad.

They listen to problems, both business and personal; they show interest and help the staff member find solutions

They show that they trust and believe in their staff by empowering them to make decisions and be responsible for their actions

Successful Motivational Managers do not bribe or pay their staff to be successful. Incentives, bonuses and prizes are all acceptable; however, they will never replace attention and acknowledgement.

Some food for thought; take a minute and think about someone in your life who you did your best for. Perhaps it was a parent, a teacher or a manager. What was it about them that made you want to do your best; was it presence or presents??

Alan Fairweather, ‘The Motivation Doctor,’ is an International Speaker, Author and Sales Growth Expert.
For the past fifteen years, he’s been turning ‘adequate’ Managers, Sales and Customer Service people into consistent top performers.

He is the author of – ‘How to be a Motivational Manager’ A down-to-earth guide for Managers and Team Leaders.
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