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Marketing Plan Samples: Your First Step
In Building a Successful Business

The complexity of many marketing plan samples often deters busy businesspeople from planning — a vital step to business success.

How do you choose from among the many marketing plans that are available?

Words of wisdom from Marketing Ideas Advisor…

Select by Your Comfort Level

When you explore the marketing plan samples presented here — the free simplified ones as well as the comprehensive plans — choose one that seems most comfortable and doable for you.

If you select one that looks good overall but has components that don't apply to you, ignore those parts for now. It may be that, as your business grows, those components will become relevant. You can even piecemeal from several marketing plan samples to create your own personalized plan, one that makes sense for you.

You're Not Locked In To Your Marketing Plan

Keep in mind that your marketing plan can be changed. In fact, effective marketing strategy dictates that it should change. Consumer buying habits, trends, and many other factors may cause you to shift focus. Some changes could be influenced by your own situation, like budget adjustments, a unique opportunity to merge with another business, a new product line, the need to expand, etc.

You can always tweak your plan, or you can come back and select from another one of the marketing plan samples that better suits your business as it changes.

Who Really Needs to Plan?

If you're a “do-er” rather than a planner, chances are you can't wait to get started on your trip to Outrageously Successful Businessville. Maybe you're here only because someone told you that you really should do marketing planning. Or maybe you already knew that, but you're still dragging your feet a bit. Just in case you need a little more convincing, read this:

The government's Small Business Administration cites a Harvard University study that showed a correlation between the amount of time spent planning a business and its success.

That doesn't mean you should delay starting your business or close up shop to plan, just be mindful of the importance of doing it as soon as possible.

Are These Obstacles Tripping You Up?

Don't get caught up in the obstacles to any kind of planning. They are roadblocks to your success. Beware of these thoughts lurking about, waiting to sabotage your trip:

Your Business Plans and Marketing Plans are your maps to your destination: A Successful Business. And they're the most important items for your trip.

Simply Irresistible — and Free

Still coming up with excuses not to plan? It is futile to resist. Help is on the way with simplified marketing plan samples and software selections to suit even the most wary among us.

But first, let me assure you, you're not alone in your hesitation. In my marketing consulting business, I have had numerous clients in retail, nonprofits, financial, restaurants, and others, who simply would not (“Don't think I need it.”) or could not (“It's too complicated, and I can't afford it.”) do a Comprehensive Marketing Plan.

Their “aversion” to planning, as it turned out, was based more on apprehension: going into unfamiliar marketing waters, resistance to paying “untold amounts of money” to a marketing consultant, and especially fear of losing precious time needed to run the business.

It's hard to take time, especially when you're a small business with little or no staff. A lot is riding on your shoulders. I'm reminded of the saying: “Stuck between a rock and a hard place.” It takes courage and determination to stop to plan.

Rather than give up on these clients, I tried to move the boulder by chipping away at it. I used several approaches — simplified versions of traditional small business marketing plans, something they could do without too much effort and time. They could do it themselves, or we could brainstorm together. It was a start.

Caveat/Disclaimer/Warning/Caution

My marketing “guts” tell me that I should clarify my intentions. These free, simplified marketing plan samples are not meant to take the place of a Comprehensive Marketing Plan like you'll see shortly.

When we introduce you to Palo Alto, a market leader in business and marketing planning products, you'll see how their comprehensive plans and free samples lead you toward strategic planning, because…

But if you're in that “rock” place, a simple plan is better than no plan at all. It could get you off dead center, perhaps giving you the confidence to proceed with a more in-depth plan.

Free & Simple: Do-It-Yourself Marketing Plan Samples

Let's start out with a short description and links to each of the three free simplified marketing plan samples that I've used with clients who were apprehensive about doing a Comprehensive Marketing Plan.

Each of these marketing plan samples will be shown with partially completed examples to give you an idea of how you might proceed.

The Chart

The most simplistic of the free marketing plan samples, The Chart asks you to:

See The Chart (opens in a new window).

The Overview

Just as the name implies, this plan asks you to:

See The Overview (opens in a new window).

The Action Plan Model

The broadest of the three free marketing plan samples, the Action Plan Model asks you to:

See The Action Plan Model (opens in a new window).

Download Success with These Marketing Plan
Samples & Software

The greatest advantage of Marketing Plan software products is that someone has taken all the major considerations into… well, consideration.

Of course, it will still take time on your part to research or compile the numbers and other information to “fill in the blanks.” Those “blanks” are what makes your Marketing Plan specific to your business.

The comprehensive marketing plan samples that you'll access here will show you how it's done.

Quality software will give you the path to follow. That means the software:

The marketing plan samples you'll see are not necessarily difficult, but they are all-inclusive. This is good. The more you think about, research, question and explore aspects of your business, the smarter choices you'll make for spending your time and money on the right things — things that give you results.

Select a Reputable Leader in Software Products

We searched the Web for a planning software company of the highest caliber, one whose products we could recommend without reservation. We found one that rose above the rest.

Palo Alto Software is a top-rated market leader in business plan software products. Palo Alto owns and operates Mplans (marketing) and Bplans (business), which bring you the best planning tools you'll find anywhere.

Palo Alto also offers a wide range of other software products including Web and advertising strategies, new-business ideas and much more. We'll tell you more about those shortly.

Here's what others say about Palo Alto's software products:

Marketing Ideas Advisor is proud to have qualified as an affiliate of Palo Alto.

How to Get Started

See for yourself how easy it is to get started on your Road to a Successful Business:
(The following links open in a new window.)

How to Find the Right Marketing Activities
to Put Into Your Plan

After you've explored the various marketing plan samples from Palo Alto, you may be starting to think about your specific business and how you'll fill in those blanks. What are the Action Steps — the actual “things” you will do — to reach your goal?

Don't jump into marketing activities that may cost you money but not yield results. The name of the game here is to develop Action Steps that are right for you.

And check out Small Business Marketing Tips as well as our other links for much more free information that will help you develop your marketing plan.

The Internet's Role in Your Marketing Plan

A strong, effective Internet presence should be part of your marketing strategy. Yes, even for local businesses and organizations. Why?

Here's what's on the very near horizon for local businesses and the Internet:

Why the emphasis on “effective” Web sites?

Gone are the days when you could put up a Web site over the weekend and check that off your “To Do” list. Today's more sophisticated search engines rank you and place you on page 1 or page 2001 of a surfer's search. Where would you like to be listed?

Building an effective Web site, one that is ranked highly by search engines and gets traffic, is becoming an art form — and one that too few Webmasters have… well, mastered.

If you want to build a site (or have one built for you) that works, check out Site Build It! This product is such a time-saver because it contains all the services you'd have to try to do piecemeal, like: researching critical keywords to satisfy search engines, Web hosting, submissions to search engines, etc. This site was built with the Site Build It! system — talk about packaging everything we needed to know and do! We couldn't have done it without them.

Is It Too Late to Start Building Your Future?

It's never too late! Even if you're already in business, you can — and should — plan for your future business success.

The most important thing is to start. Start simply, start slowly but take the first step to success by selecting from among the Comprehensive Marketing Plan Samples that are available here.

With your solid foundation — your marketing plan — you can begin building. Put into your plan all your hopes, dreams and goals. Your Action Steps will take you there, whether it's to:

Plan, not only to succeed, but to soar above your most optimistic expectations. It's the only way to fly!

For your convenience, here are links previously mentioned:

Simplified marketing plan samples:

 

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