If you were celebrating Valentines Day with a candlelight dinner for two at home and settled in to watch a movie, "Sleepless in Seattle" would be a great choice because it provides a pleasant experience and is already becoming a romantic comedy classic.
Your parents or grandparents experienced a similar story line in the now classic "An Affair to Remember" that was released in 1957 and paired Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Their characters fall in love and agree to meet in 6 months at the Empire State Building in New York.
Sleepless in Seattle, released 36 years later in 1993, pairs Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin and Meg Ryan as Annie Reed. Sam is the recently-widowed father of 8-year-old Jonah Baldwin (Ross Malinger), who calls a nationally-broadcast radio talk show in an attempt to find his lonely father a partner.
A somewhat reluctant Sam talks to host Marcia Fieldstone and thousands of single women across America are suddenly drawn in to Sam's sense of love for his former wife, each wishing she could be as cherished as Sam's next special person. To wit:
Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: Tell me what was so special about your wife?
Sam Baldwin: Well, how long is your program? Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together . . .and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home . . . only to no home I'd ever known . . .I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like . . . magic.
If that dialog does not melt every woman's heart she would need to go straight to "The Wizard of Oz" and receive a new transplant. Soon Sam is getting thousands of letters from wannabe partners, all of which are read by his son Jonah, who decides that "Annie" is the best choice.
Annie is engaged to marry Walter (Bill Pullman). Should she do so she would be making the first great mistake of her life. Walter is a decent enough chap, but Annie is missing any sparks in their relationship because Walter has the personality of an ashtray
Annie goes to great lengths to meet Sam, flying from New York to Seattle only to discover Sam with another woman, whom she mistakes for a love interest. She never mails a letter she has written to Sam, but her friend does. In it she proposes to meet Sam on top of the Empire State Building.
Sam is not interested in going, but his son Jonah is, so, with the help of his new friend whose parents own a travel agency, he is able to book a flight to the Big Apple and ends up on the observation deck of the Empire State Building looking for Annie. Sam, in a panic, to find his son, follows him to New York. The rest you will have to see.
Hanks is very convincing as a forlorn widower and Ryan was at her peak of being cute and innocent. The chemistry between the two, who only share approximately 2 minutes of screen time together, is great.
The role of Annie was originally offered to Julia Roberts but she turned it town. Kim Basinger, who was also offered the part, turned it down because she thought the premise was ridiculous. Just recently in the news, a youngster in Jonah's peer group did exactly what Jonah did, managed to book flight on a major airline and fly undetected. Life is indeed stranger than fiction.
The screenplay for Sleepless in Seattle was written in part by Nora Ephron, who also wrote "When Harry Met Sally" (another great romantic comedy with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal). Ephron directed the film.
Ephron, David S. Ward and Jeff Arch (who did write the story) were nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and the film received another nomination for Best Original Song ("A Wink and a Smile"). Sleepless in Seattle also got Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Actress (Meg Ryan).
Sleepless in Seattle cost $21 million to film and grossed $227 million worldwide at the box office, adding another $65+ million in rentals.
Tom Hanks is the gold standard in acting. He has been nominated for 5 Best Actor Oscars (Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away) and won twice for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump". Hanks also has won 4 Best Actor Golden Globes for Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump and Cast Away.
His films have grossed more than $3.3 billion. He remains only 1 of 3 actors to have 7 consecutive $100 million domestic blockbusters; the other two are Tom Cruise and Will Smith.
Sleepless in Seattle is viewed by many guys as a "chick flick" but not by me. I consider it an outstanding relationship film with a great story line that proves to be a pleasant viewing experience every time I see it again. If a guy has ever been in love and felt the magic, he will appreciate this film a lot more.
About The Author
Ed Bagley Read my articles on "Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How", "The Biggest Mistake Potential Hires Make While Interviewing for a Job" and "Before You Interview, Learn and Practice Ed's "Zip a Lip" Theory".
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Kids and Money - Why Is It So Hard?
We learn so many things as we grow up. We learn how to walk, talk, and get away with not doing our homework. We learn how to play complicated games, many of them involving pretend money.
So, why is it so hard for us to learn how to manage money?
Why do so many people struggle to make ends meet, even on reasonably high incomes?
Why do so few people manage to provide sufficiently for themselves in retirement?
It’s not rocket science. We know what it takes. And there are some people doing it. So why isn’t basic money management as widely understood as basic geometry?
Imagine what life would be like if making money came as easily and naturally as riding a bike or tying your shoelaces. Imagine graduating high school with a permanent, secure, passive income already in place. You wake each the morning to find more money has appeared in your account overnight! If you want to travel, you do. If you want to paint, write, or do any other creative activity, you do. You choose your occupation based on what you love to do, not the burden of having to pay the bills. You have all the time you need to socialise with your family and friends, to stay in shape, and to practice your spirituality.
This world is not a pipe-dream. It’s not unrealistic. The world is alive with opportunity, more so now than ever before, and the opportunity is expanding exponentially.
With the right knowledge and attitudes, today’s kids can capture their share of that opportunity, and set themselves up for life.
So, why isn’t everyone doing it?
Because not everyone’s parents have the right knowledge and attitudes to pass along to their kids. Some of those who have the knowledge and attitudes are still setting themselves up in life, working long hours, and find it difficult to break the knowledge down into terms their kids can understand.
What can we do about it?
As parents, we need to be conscious that financial education ranks up there with education about nutrition, health, and communication. We must educate ourselves, so that we can educate our children.
There are many places to go on the web to get that vital financial education.
The Cash Smart Kids program (http://www.cash-smart-kids.com) provides lessons for the kids, plus additional reference material for their parents.
The Rich Dad website (http://www.richdad.com) is rich in content, and contains information about the Cashflow series of educational board games
There are numerous e-Books, ezine articles, and offline financial publications with an online presence
And, of course, there are dozens of relevant books in your local book store
About The Author
Jenny Ford is an expert in educating children about business and wealth creation. She is one of the founders of http://www.Cash-Smart-Kids.com, and her blog can be seen at www.RaisingEntrepreneurs.org. She holds an Honours degree in Psychology, a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems, and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. She is the mother of three young entrepreneurs, all of whom started successful businesses when they were nine to twelve years old.
Monday, July 21, 2008
18 PR Tips for Startups
PR is one of the most misunderstood disciplines in the marketing department and many startup entrepreneurs and even veteran executives are quick to under estimate and under value it, or on the contrary, expect PR to solve all of their marketing needs all with just one email or press release.
In order to be successful in Public Relations, you need to grasp what it is, what it isn’t, and how it works and why. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to build the right team, determine the best strategies to amplify visibility and gain traction, or have the ability to effectively measure it.
And, for disclosure purposes, the following points are based on good PR and are highly summarized and simplified to get you thinking. As in anything, there’s more to the story. And, there are always those that do not represent PR in the best possible light. Keep in mind that those who do not practice PR effective are obvious when you know what to look for, and thankfully, they do not represent the entire industry.
1 . Understand what PR is and isn't. All too often, businesses expect PR to perform miracles simply because they confuse it with advertising, online marketing, media buying, search marketing, etc. PR can't guarantee legitimate coverage in industry publications - no matter how tight the relationship. If PR promises it, then they're lying. I leverage relationships daily to consider stories that I package in a way that's most relevant to them. Most of the time it works because I take the time to make it valuable to respective markets. If I took advantage of my contacts to force coverage whenever I needed to deliver on a promise, then it would mark the beginning of the end of my relationships.
While I won't compare PR to each branch of marketing, I will say that PR IS NOT ADVERTISING. Reporters and bloggers don't stop what they're doing to write about your company, just because we send them a press release. They're bombarded by PR people all over the world. Stories are cultivated. If we respect them, do our homework, and help highlight the value of a story, coverage is imminent. If you want guaranteed exposure, buy an ad.
2. Don't undervalue PR. PR, when done right, is extremely valuable to company branding, which has immeasurable benefits in the long haul. Customers have choices and if you're not consistently vying for their attention, it's pretty easy to fall off their radar screen when they evaluate options. Too many companies nickel and dime PR to the point of absurdity. Don't get me wrong. Expensive PR doesn't equal success. But short changing PR is usually a first step in the wrong direction.
3. PR is not a switch. It doesn't go off and on whenever you have the time or budget to throw at it. The market moves too quickly, and if you're not actively participating in it, you'll quickly find that company sales and site traffic will begin a downward spiral that may or may not recover. Embrace it. Nurture it. Stick with it. PR is an inexpensive solution for gaining visibility within the market segments that matter to your business.
Don’t fool yourself. As a company executive, you can not and should not run PR yourself. You have more important things to do, like say, run a company.
If you turn off the PR switch, your competitors will steal your thunder, and, your customers.
4. Initial and consistent coverage takes time. In most cases, coverage doesn't just happen. PR is like farming. The more seeds you plant, along with the time you spend watering, caring for, and feeding them, your crops will grow in the form of coverage over time. While some things such as news, etc., force information out quickly, other stories take time. And when they appear, they help raise brand visibility, drive some people to buy, and they also spark others to consider writing about it - which in turn also influences the cycle to replicate. Don't assume all of this coverage happens simply because you are a popular company.
Also, realize that there are different forms of media and they each react to different stories in their own way. Trades (whether traditional media or blogs) will cover certain things that relate to your industry whereas mainstream media will need the story presented in a way that has broader appeal.
5. Get a spokesperson. Just because you created the product doesn't mean you're the best person to sell it. I've worked with some of the most passionate executives that just don't click with the people they're trying to engage - no matter how hard they try. This has negative impact that lasts and is tough to overcome.
Suck it up and get a spokesperson who can help tell the story to the people that will help grow your business.
6. PR is not the only tool in the shed. Understand that PR is only an umbrella for the specific communications initiatives that will help you achieve complementary, simultaneous goals. For example, corporate branding and product marketing require different campaigns. Don’t put all of your eggs in the PR basket. Run SEO campaigns. Look at online ads and promotions. Run contests. Attend events.
PR can not be the only thing you rely on in order to build and sustain a successful business.
7. PR at the Head, Across Chasms, and in the Long Tail.
No matter what industry you're in, realize that the most popular blogs, newspapers, or magazines are only one part of the process. Your market is divided by adoption and buying behavior and documented through a bell curve rich with chasms , pyramids that further divide and classify them, quadrants that demonstrate competitive advantages, ladders that represent the technology that people can use to reach customers in different ways, a cluetrain that shows how people carry it through the long tail , and hopefully reflected by a hockey stick that forces you to evaluate what to do from Inside the Tornado. Yes, of course this was meant to be funny...but it does show that one program no longer serves the masses when you deconstruct it by the markets and the people that comprise it.
This means that you have to embrace both new media and traditional media in PR. For example, in the tech space, TechCrunch, Mashable, Venture Beat, Read/Write Web, et al, will yield measurable traffic so great that most of the time it will knock out company servers. Every executive wants them. CEOs cry if they can't get coverage on them. But, by no means, do they carry your value proposition to the entire collective of people that will embrace your product and help sustain your business for the whole game.
They represent the early adopters and pragmatists. However, there are other worlds of global microcommunities rich with horizontal and vertical publications and blogs that will carry your story to the more conservative groups of people that collectively converge as the primary base of recurring revenue.
In this case, it's less about traffic and hits as metrics for success and more about quality, registrations, purchases, referrals, e tc. that define business growth and sustenance.
8. Engage in social media.
We live in a "social" economy and the only way to succeed in it, is to participate. Participation is marketing. Community relations is marketing. Engagement builds trust, relationships and loyalty, but it requires a genuine, dedicated, proactive, and value-driven effort.
Blog about industry-relevant topics, not just company accomplishments. Provide tips and hints to help your customers make more informed decisions. It's not a new tool in the marketing belt. It is a new opportunity to engage customers and cultivate relationships. Simply put, be a resource for your community.
Embrace online video and watch how creative, genuine, and cool content becomes incredibly viral. Words can carry the message so far, but video is also an opportunity to showcase the product while entertaining viewers.
Podcast new updates, customer successes, ideas for new product uses, etc.
Bookmark and share relevant links using the popular social tools available.
Cultivate user generated content.
Write social media releases .
Write SEO press releases. However, write them well and strip out all of the bullshit.
If relevant, build transparent profiles i n the social networks where you can find and support customers.
Share images and behind the scenes footage using services such as flickr and YouTube.
Listen and engage in MicroMedia.
Hire a community manager. In the new world of social media, new PR can be complemented through the efforts of someone who can actively represent the company in all things social so that they can provide proactive information and support to people
looking for guidance in the communities they frequent. Don't market to them, have conversations.
Note, this is an ultra-simplified list of how to jump into the world of social media. Read the Social Media Manifesto and The Art and Science of Community Relations for additional suggestions and guidance.
9. Support and reward your PR program. Feed it as you do any other branch of the company. Respect it when it works and let your team share in the success. Don't focus on the shortcomings. Don’t take credit for coverage if you randomly sent someone an email a long time ago. Don’t tell your PR team that the coverage that’s happening is solely driven by the viral activities of users and other existing coverage. PR is designed to spark Word of Mouth and every time a new article appears, it’s because of something that PR did either recently or awhile ago. That’s the value of PR. It’s the program that keeps on giving! Bottom line, extend congratulations as goals are achieved and support PR in a way that keeps your team motivated to kick ass.
10. Keep good people. If you find a PR person or team that truly lives and breathes the company and the product, never let them go. They are a rare breed and deserve support and promotion.
11. Keep an open line of communication. Meet with your PR team regularly to communicate realistic goals and measure progress. Paint a real world picture of what success looks like each month and listen to the reports to see if they are indeed attainable. You get out of PR what you put into it.
12. Establish realistic metrics. PR isn’t a miracle solution to help you attain all business objectives. Agree upon realistic metrics in advance. All too often executives lose sight of what PR is designed to do. The right coverage is invaluable, even when it doesn't translate into visible hits, traffic spikes, or sales. Super Bowl ads, for example, rarely pay for themselves in the short run. Realize that a proactive, intelligent and consistent PR program will contribute to the bottom line. It shouldn't be solely responsible for company success or failure. Metrics can be in the form of specific targets every month, traffic, registrations, lead generation, links, and now, conversations.
13. Do not launch your company or product at a conference. Contrary to popular belief, do not attempt to launch your company at a tradeshow unless it is a venue specifically designed to make your launch successful. For example, in Tech, we have DEMO and TechCrunch40 , and each draw worldwide attention. But, the best PR is always done before the event. At conferences, companies kick and scream for attention and usually drown each other out. Tell your story before you have to compete to do so. However, go to conferences and events for lead generation and networking.
14. Do not start contacting people on your own. This is one of my personal favorites. Many executives believe that in order to get something done right, they have to do it on their own. So, they start emailing reporters and bloggers on a whim without regard for relationship, existing conversations, or their best interests. I have seen some pretty interesting ramifications for doing so. All I can say is this. Consult with PR before doing so. In fact, sometimes contact is best coming directly from an executive. It just needs to be planned and orchestrated in a way that is beneficial to reporter/blogger, the company, and the overall PR initiative.
15. Embargoes and Breaking News. The blogosphere and social media in general has created the need for new rules when breaking news. Determine who your news benefits, where they go for information, and what they’re looking for. Then reverse engineer the process and design everything around what you learned, from writing the release, what you say and how you say it, to whom and when. Do not rely on a wire service to get your news out. PR is best served by specifically working with the new and traditional influencers who can help get your story told, in advance, and usually under embargo . (Note: Most of the time, less is more. Do not try to take your news to anybody and everybody under embargo. Be smart about it. A few key places can carry your story farther, and, without ruining relationships with influencers along the way.) Exclusives are a rare practice these days and usually reserved for some pretty incredible and industry moving news.
16. Customer service is the new, new marketing. Customer service is no longer an inbound activity or viewed as a cost center. Social Media changed everything and it isn't a spectator sport. Marketing-savvy corporate executives are working with PR, Advertising, and Marcom teams to explore options and strategies on how to participate in relevant online conversations. This represents a shift in outbound marketing as it creates a direct channel between companies and customers, and ultimately people. Social Media is rooted in conversations between people and peers, regardless of the technology that facilitates them, and every day they take place across blogs, networks, forums, micromedia, and online groups. And, each day, with every new community and social tool that is introduced, brands, products and services are actively discussed, supported, and disassembled. Social Media represents an entirely new way to reach customers and connect with them directly. It adds an outbound channel that complements inbound customer service and traditional PR, direct marketing and advertising, placing companies and their customers on a level playing field to discuss things as peers. Most importantly, it transcends the process of simply answering inbound questions to creating a community of enthusiasts and evangelists.
17. PR isn’t charity. While many PR people and agencies demand unreasonable fortunes, remember that you’re a startup and solutions are abundant when you know what you’re looking for and value the engagement. In PR, you get what you pay for – well most of the time anyway. Don’t expect brilliant PR for pennies. Nor should you expect results by over paying for services. There are consultants, individuals, and agencies willing to work for reasonable cash and stock incentives. But, I can’t think of anyone, who’s good at what they do, that will work on a performance-based payment program. PR just doesn’t work that way. Think of it this way. Good sales people don’t work solely on commission. Most earn a salary on top of their commission to keep them active and successful. If PR people wanted to earn their income on a commission basis, they would get into sales where they can usually make a lot more money. They’re in PR because they prefer to “tell” a story instead of “selling” it.
18. You’re not the only company with a great story. Remember this. At any given moment, reporters and bloggers are getting bombarded with pitches, both good and bad, by companies that take the time to learn what they want in addition to those who simply spam them and hope for the best. It’s overwhelming to say the least. They have better things to do than stop everything that they’re working on just to read your press release. This is one of the reasons why you need PR. Well that, and the fact that you need someone who’s not drinking the bath water to tell you that your story needs help in how it’s told to the specific groups of people to whom it matters. Just because it’s new doesn’t make it newsworthy. You have to compete for attention and in order to do so effectively and genuinely, you need someone who can help tell your story, the right way, through the people who reach the customers that will impact your bottom line. It’s not an overnight process. It’s not a game. It’s a process of investing in building and leveraging relationships now and in the long term.
About The Author
Brian Solis is Principal of FutureWorks. Solis blogs at PR2.0, bub.blicio.us, and WebProNews. Solis is co-founder of the Social Media Club, an original member of the Media 2.0 Workgroup, and a contributor to the Social Media Collective and http://ConversationalMedia.org. In concert with Geoff Livingston, Solis released “Now is Gone” a new book that helps businesses learn how to engage in Social Media. He has also release a series of ebooks on new PR and blogger relations. Solis has been writing about new PR since the mid 90s discussing how Web has redefined the communications industry. Solis is considered an expert in traditional PR, media relations, and Social Media.
In order to be successful in Public Relations, you need to grasp what it is, what it isn’t, and how it works and why. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to build the right team, determine the best strategies to amplify visibility and gain traction, or have the ability to effectively measure it.
And, for disclosure purposes, the following points are based on good PR and are highly summarized and simplified to get you thinking. As in anything, there’s more to the story. And, there are always those that do not represent PR in the best possible light. Keep in mind that those who do not practice PR effective are obvious when you know what to look for, and thankfully, they do not represent the entire industry.
1 . Understand what PR is and isn't. All too often, businesses expect PR to perform miracles simply because they confuse it with advertising, online marketing, media buying, search marketing, etc. PR can't guarantee legitimate coverage in industry publications - no matter how tight the relationship. If PR promises it, then they're lying. I leverage relationships daily to consider stories that I package in a way that's most relevant to them. Most of the time it works because I take the time to make it valuable to respective markets. If I took advantage of my contacts to force coverage whenever I needed to deliver on a promise, then it would mark the beginning of the end of my relationships.
While I won't compare PR to each branch of marketing, I will say that PR IS NOT ADVERTISING. Reporters and bloggers don't stop what they're doing to write about your company, just because we send them a press release. They're bombarded by PR people all over the world. Stories are cultivated. If we respect them, do our homework, and help highlight the value of a story, coverage is imminent. If you want guaranteed exposure, buy an ad.
2. Don't undervalue PR. PR, when done right, is extremely valuable to company branding, which has immeasurable benefits in the long haul. Customers have choices and if you're not consistently vying for their attention, it's pretty easy to fall off their radar screen when they evaluate options. Too many companies nickel and dime PR to the point of absurdity. Don't get me wrong. Expensive PR doesn't equal success. But short changing PR is usually a first step in the wrong direction.
3. PR is not a switch. It doesn't go off and on whenever you have the time or budget to throw at it. The market moves too quickly, and if you're not actively participating in it, you'll quickly find that company sales and site traffic will begin a downward spiral that may or may not recover. Embrace it. Nurture it. Stick with it. PR is an inexpensive solution for gaining visibility within the market segments that matter to your business.
Don’t fool yourself. As a company executive, you can not and should not run PR yourself. You have more important things to do, like say, run a company.
If you turn off the PR switch, your competitors will steal your thunder, and, your customers.
4. Initial and consistent coverage takes time. In most cases, coverage doesn't just happen. PR is like farming. The more seeds you plant, along with the time you spend watering, caring for, and feeding them, your crops will grow in the form of coverage over time. While some things such as news, etc., force information out quickly, other stories take time. And when they appear, they help raise brand visibility, drive some people to buy, and they also spark others to consider writing about it - which in turn also influences the cycle to replicate. Don't assume all of this coverage happens simply because you are a popular company.
Also, realize that there are different forms of media and they each react to different stories in their own way. Trades (whether traditional media or blogs) will cover certain things that relate to your industry whereas mainstream media will need the story presented in a way that has broader appeal.
5. Get a spokesperson. Just because you created the product doesn't mean you're the best person to sell it. I've worked with some of the most passionate executives that just don't click with the people they're trying to engage - no matter how hard they try. This has negative impact that lasts and is tough to overcome.
Suck it up and get a spokesperson who can help tell the story to the people that will help grow your business.
6. PR is not the only tool in the shed. Understand that PR is only an umbrella for the specific communications initiatives that will help you achieve complementary, simultaneous goals. For example, corporate branding and product marketing require different campaigns. Don’t put all of your eggs in the PR basket. Run SEO campaigns. Look at online ads and promotions. Run contests. Attend events.
PR can not be the only thing you rely on in order to build and sustain a successful business.
7. PR at the Head, Across Chasms, and in the Long Tail.
No matter what industry you're in, realize that the most popular blogs, newspapers, or magazines are only one part of the process. Your market is divided by adoption and buying behavior and documented through a bell curve rich with chasms , pyramids that further divide and classify them, quadrants that demonstrate competitive advantages, ladders that represent the technology that people can use to reach customers in different ways, a cluetrain that shows how people carry it through the long tail , and hopefully reflected by a hockey stick that forces you to evaluate what to do from Inside the Tornado. Yes, of course this was meant to be funny...but it does show that one program no longer serves the masses when you deconstruct it by the markets and the people that comprise it.
This means that you have to embrace both new media and traditional media in PR. For example, in the tech space, TechCrunch, Mashable, Venture Beat, Read/Write Web, et al, will yield measurable traffic so great that most of the time it will knock out company servers. Every executive wants them. CEOs cry if they can't get coverage on them. But, by no means, do they carry your value proposition to the entire collective of people that will embrace your product and help sustain your business for the whole game.
They represent the early adopters and pragmatists. However, there are other worlds of global microcommunities rich with horizontal and vertical publications and blogs that will carry your story to the more conservative groups of people that collectively converge as the primary base of recurring revenue.
In this case, it's less about traffic and hits as metrics for success and more about quality, registrations, purchases, referrals, e tc. that define business growth and sustenance.
8. Engage in social media.
We live in a "social" economy and the only way to succeed in it, is to participate. Participation is marketing. Community relations is marketing. Engagement builds trust, relationships and loyalty, but it requires a genuine, dedicated, proactive, and value-driven effort.
Blog about industry-relevant topics, not just company accomplishments. Provide tips and hints to help your customers make more informed decisions. It's not a new tool in the marketing belt. It is a new opportunity to engage customers and cultivate relationships. Simply put, be a resource for your community.
Embrace online video and watch how creative, genuine, and cool content becomes incredibly viral. Words can carry the message so far, but video is also an opportunity to showcase the product while entertaining viewers.
Podcast new updates, customer successes, ideas for new product uses, etc.
Bookmark and share relevant links using the popular social tools available.
Cultivate user generated content.
Write social media releases .
Write SEO press releases. However, write them well and strip out all of the bullshit.
If relevant, build transparent profiles i n the social networks where you can find and support customers.
Share images and behind the scenes footage using services such as flickr and YouTube.
Listen and engage in MicroMedia.
Hire a community manager. In the new world of social media, new PR can be complemented through the efforts of someone who can actively represent the company in all things social so that they can provide proactive information and support to people
looking for guidance in the communities they frequent. Don't market to them, have conversations.
Note, this is an ultra-simplified list of how to jump into the world of social media. Read the Social Media Manifesto and The Art and Science of Community Relations for additional suggestions and guidance.
9. Support and reward your PR program. Feed it as you do any other branch of the company. Respect it when it works and let your team share in the success. Don't focus on the shortcomings. Don’t take credit for coverage if you randomly sent someone an email a long time ago. Don’t tell your PR team that the coverage that’s happening is solely driven by the viral activities of users and other existing coverage. PR is designed to spark Word of Mouth and every time a new article appears, it’s because of something that PR did either recently or awhile ago. That’s the value of PR. It’s the program that keeps on giving! Bottom line, extend congratulations as goals are achieved and support PR in a way that keeps your team motivated to kick ass.
10. Keep good people. If you find a PR person or team that truly lives and breathes the company and the product, never let them go. They are a rare breed and deserve support and promotion.
11. Keep an open line of communication. Meet with your PR team regularly to communicate realistic goals and measure progress. Paint a real world picture of what success looks like each month and listen to the reports to see if they are indeed attainable. You get out of PR what you put into it.
12. Establish realistic metrics. PR isn’t a miracle solution to help you attain all business objectives. Agree upon realistic metrics in advance. All too often executives lose sight of what PR is designed to do. The right coverage is invaluable, even when it doesn't translate into visible hits, traffic spikes, or sales. Super Bowl ads, for example, rarely pay for themselves in the short run. Realize that a proactive, intelligent and consistent PR program will contribute to the bottom line. It shouldn't be solely responsible for company success or failure. Metrics can be in the form of specific targets every month, traffic, registrations, lead generation, links, and now, conversations.
13. Do not launch your company or product at a conference. Contrary to popular belief, do not attempt to launch your company at a tradeshow unless it is a venue specifically designed to make your launch successful. For example, in Tech, we have DEMO and TechCrunch40 , and each draw worldwide attention. But, the best PR is always done before the event. At conferences, companies kick and scream for attention and usually drown each other out. Tell your story before you have to compete to do so. However, go to conferences and events for lead generation and networking.
14. Do not start contacting people on your own. This is one of my personal favorites. Many executives believe that in order to get something done right, they have to do it on their own. So, they start emailing reporters and bloggers on a whim without regard for relationship, existing conversations, or their best interests. I have seen some pretty interesting ramifications for doing so. All I can say is this. Consult with PR before doing so. In fact, sometimes contact is best coming directly from an executive. It just needs to be planned and orchestrated in a way that is beneficial to reporter/blogger, the company, and the overall PR initiative.
15. Embargoes and Breaking News. The blogosphere and social media in general has created the need for new rules when breaking news. Determine who your news benefits, where they go for information, and what they’re looking for. Then reverse engineer the process and design everything around what you learned, from writing the release, what you say and how you say it, to whom and when. Do not rely on a wire service to get your news out. PR is best served by specifically working with the new and traditional influencers who can help get your story told, in advance, and usually under embargo . (Note: Most of the time, less is more. Do not try to take your news to anybody and everybody under embargo. Be smart about it. A few key places can carry your story farther, and, without ruining relationships with influencers along the way.) Exclusives are a rare practice these days and usually reserved for some pretty incredible and industry moving news.
16. Customer service is the new, new marketing. Customer service is no longer an inbound activity or viewed as a cost center. Social Media changed everything and it isn't a spectator sport. Marketing-savvy corporate executives are working with PR, Advertising, and Marcom teams to explore options and strategies on how to participate in relevant online conversations. This represents a shift in outbound marketing as it creates a direct channel between companies and customers, and ultimately people. Social Media is rooted in conversations between people and peers, regardless of the technology that facilitates them, and every day they take place across blogs, networks, forums, micromedia, and online groups. And, each day, with every new community and social tool that is introduced, brands, products and services are actively discussed, supported, and disassembled. Social Media represents an entirely new way to reach customers and connect with them directly. It adds an outbound channel that complements inbound customer service and traditional PR, direct marketing and advertising, placing companies and their customers on a level playing field to discuss things as peers. Most importantly, it transcends the process of simply answering inbound questions to creating a community of enthusiasts and evangelists.
17. PR isn’t charity. While many PR people and agencies demand unreasonable fortunes, remember that you’re a startup and solutions are abundant when you know what you’re looking for and value the engagement. In PR, you get what you pay for – well most of the time anyway. Don’t expect brilliant PR for pennies. Nor should you expect results by over paying for services. There are consultants, individuals, and agencies willing to work for reasonable cash and stock incentives. But, I can’t think of anyone, who’s good at what they do, that will work on a performance-based payment program. PR just doesn’t work that way. Think of it this way. Good sales people don’t work solely on commission. Most earn a salary on top of their commission to keep them active and successful. If PR people wanted to earn their income on a commission basis, they would get into sales where they can usually make a lot more money. They’re in PR because they prefer to “tell” a story instead of “selling” it.
18. You’re not the only company with a great story. Remember this. At any given moment, reporters and bloggers are getting bombarded with pitches, both good and bad, by companies that take the time to learn what they want in addition to those who simply spam them and hope for the best. It’s overwhelming to say the least. They have better things to do than stop everything that they’re working on just to read your press release. This is one of the reasons why you need PR. Well that, and the fact that you need someone who’s not drinking the bath water to tell you that your story needs help in how it’s told to the specific groups of people to whom it matters. Just because it’s new doesn’t make it newsworthy. You have to compete for attention and in order to do so effectively and genuinely, you need someone who can help tell your story, the right way, through the people who reach the customers that will impact your bottom line. It’s not an overnight process. It’s not a game. It’s a process of investing in building and leveraging relationships now and in the long term.
About The Author
Brian Solis is Principal of FutureWorks. Solis blogs at PR2.0, bub.blicio.us, and WebProNews. Solis is co-founder of the Social Media Club, an original member of the Media 2.0 Workgroup, and a contributor to the Social Media Collective and http://ConversationalMedia.org. In concert with Geoff Livingston, Solis released “Now is Gone” a new book that helps businesses learn how to engage in Social Media. He has also release a series of ebooks on new PR and blogger relations. Solis has been writing about new PR since the mid 90s discussing how Web has redefined the communications industry. Solis is considered an expert in traditional PR, media relations, and Social Media.
How to Turn Your Book Signing into a Sell-Out!
Everyone loves a successful book signing! When I had my very first book signing it was a total flop! Well, maybe not totally, the book store did order six books and I did sell two of them! But success comes after failure only if you try again.
So what went wrong? I asked myself. Several things went wrong. First, I didn't invite anyone to come to the book signing; I didn't have any promotional material with me; I barely spoke to the customers because I "foolishly" thought they would all run up to my table to see what the book and author were all about, and the worst thing I did, was to stay sitting behind that little table for the whole two hours! Wrong -- wrong -- wrong.
Today, because of that failure, I have not had a book signing anywhere that has not been a complete sell-out!
So, how did I go from being a complete flop to becoming a complete success? Here's how!
Where I live, all of the Barnes and Noble Bookstores are independently run, whereas Border's Bookstores are centralized. That means that each Barnes and Noble bookstore decides independently on who, what, when and where and if they will authorize book signings. In this case, it is important to get to know the "store" and the manager at each store. Establish a rapport with him or her, and give them a little background about yourself and your book. Don't be afraid to ask if you can have a book signing at their store, or to emphasize the fact that you are a local author.
Because Border's Bookstores are centralized, that means that the Regional Manager decides on all of the book signings for all of the stores. Here is where you really want to establish a rapport. I made it a point to do so with our Regional Manager and since then, she willingly books me at any of the Border's bookstores that I want. One consideration in choosing a store is demographics. Apparently, each bookstore sells a particular type of genre more than others. For example, where I live, the community is very family-oriented, so books on fantasy, child-rearing, and especially children's books are hot items. A few miles further south, there is a university town... and believe it or not, romance books are a hot item at that store!
Although The Regional Manager books all of the book signings for all the stores, each Border's Bookstore handles the mechanics of the book signing independently. Here again, it is important to get to know the store and the Store Manager because that means they give you a better location, more traffic gets directed to you, and more announcements are made about you over their loudspeaker.
Next, prepare... prepare... prepare. I can't say enough about this. We are published authors, which connotes "professionals"... Prepare for your book signing just as a professional would:
•Always check with the store before contacting any media. It has been my experience that they do a great job with the media and advertisements. If you want to send a press release to a local paper, ask them who to contact. They are very nice about giving you that information, or they will tell you that they are going to do it.
•Make invitations and give them to all of your friends, acquaintances, and family members, and e-mail everyone you know who would be interested. I also give them to my dentist, doctor, people I know at the local grocery store, and people I know at church.
•Have a framed 8x11 or 11x17 picture of your cover on an easel for display.
•Prepare flyers... not just black and white blurbs about your book, but jazz it up and make it look professional. Include a short "eye-catcher" blurb about your book, a list of one liner endorsements, a short bio about yourself and the availability of your book. Be sure to always include your web page on every piece of paper that you have for handouts.
•Always have bookmarks to give the customer with every book you sign.
•Have a candy dish at your table filled with candy. However, always ask the store manager if it is alright. This is important because some store managers don't like food in their store. I've never been turned down; however, I do always buy the individually wrapped mints.
•People love "free-bies." Here is a list of what I take to every book signing:
1. Framed Book Cover on a stand. Not all bookstores have signs printed for your book signing.
2. A transparent bookstand to show off the books. They show off the book better as opposed to just having the books lying on the table.
3. Postcards to hand out -- with your book cover and a short blurb, availability and web page.
4. Flyers printed on colored stock so that they stand out. Ask the store manager if you can put a few up on their windows. I've never been turned down. After all, they want to sell books too.
5. Brochures. This is up to you. I have brochures with me, but I don't put them out because of the expense. However, every now and then I do run into a librarian or a school book buyer and I do give one to them.
6. Business Cards -- have them in a nice business card holder next to your book cover -- make sure your cards list your web page.
7. Pens with your book title and web page printed on them -- this tip I picked up at a book conference. When a customer buys my book, I sign it with one of my pens and then I give them the pen along with the book.
8. Bookmarks -- This is a must. Every book should include a bookmark. Have them made with a small picture of your book cover, a list of very short two or three word endorsements and your web page.
9. A table cloth -- It has been my experience that some book stores have already set the table with a table cloth and some don't.
I always carry one with me just in case.
This may seem like a lot, but believe me, when it is laid out on the table, it isn't much. Keep in mind we are professionals, so everything you do, think like a professional.
Last but certainly not least... never sit at your table. Don't be shy; greet the customers as they walk by, smile, introduce yourself, hand them a flyer, and tell them that you are a local author who is having a book signing today on behalf of (name of bookstore). Tell them a little about your book.
If you are like me, book signings are a lot of work, but they are also a lot of fun! You meet a lot of very interesting people, and even if they don't buy your book, they walk away with a flyer or a postcard and they will either read it or check your web page.
More importantly, when you are done, always thank the store manager and the staff who participated in your book signing. Never leave without a thank you and a hand shake.
Since I have practiced this... I have been invited back several times to most of the bookstores in my area, and now they order a minimum of about 25 books, and I always sell-out!
Good Luck and Happy Book Signing.
Copyright © 2007-2008 Judy Azar LeBlanc
About The Author
Award Winning Author, Judy Azar LeBlanc was born in Raton, New Mexico, and was raised and educated in Albuquerque, and is an Honored Member of the Cambridge Who's Who, Toastmasters International, and the Arizona Author's Association. She is a graduate of San Jose University, in San Jose, California, where she did graduate work in Industrial Psychology. An award-winning author, her fourth and favorite title "Many Faces to Many Places" is preceded by "Things My Father Never Taught Me", "The Compromise," and "The Unveiling." LeBlanc is internationally published in the FONATUR Tourist Magazine, sponsored by the federal government of Mexico. Visit her website at http://www.manyfacestomanyplaces.com
So what went wrong? I asked myself. Several things went wrong. First, I didn't invite anyone to come to the book signing; I didn't have any promotional material with me; I barely spoke to the customers because I "foolishly" thought they would all run up to my table to see what the book and author were all about, and the worst thing I did, was to stay sitting behind that little table for the whole two hours! Wrong -- wrong -- wrong.
Today, because of that failure, I have not had a book signing anywhere that has not been a complete sell-out!
So, how did I go from being a complete flop to becoming a complete success? Here's how!
Where I live, all of the Barnes and Noble Bookstores are independently run, whereas Border's Bookstores are centralized. That means that each Barnes and Noble bookstore decides independently on who, what, when and where and if they will authorize book signings. In this case, it is important to get to know the "store" and the manager at each store. Establish a rapport with him or her, and give them a little background about yourself and your book. Don't be afraid to ask if you can have a book signing at their store, or to emphasize the fact that you are a local author.
Because Border's Bookstores are centralized, that means that the Regional Manager decides on all of the book signings for all of the stores. Here is where you really want to establish a rapport. I made it a point to do so with our Regional Manager and since then, she willingly books me at any of the Border's bookstores that I want. One consideration in choosing a store is demographics. Apparently, each bookstore sells a particular type of genre more than others. For example, where I live, the community is very family-oriented, so books on fantasy, child-rearing, and especially children's books are hot items. A few miles further south, there is a university town... and believe it or not, romance books are a hot item at that store!
Although The Regional Manager books all of the book signings for all the stores, each Border's Bookstore handles the mechanics of the book signing independently. Here again, it is important to get to know the store and the Store Manager because that means they give you a better location, more traffic gets directed to you, and more announcements are made about you over their loudspeaker.
Next, prepare... prepare... prepare. I can't say enough about this. We are published authors, which connotes "professionals"... Prepare for your book signing just as a professional would:
•Always check with the store before contacting any media. It has been my experience that they do a great job with the media and advertisements. If you want to send a press release to a local paper, ask them who to contact. They are very nice about giving you that information, or they will tell you that they are going to do it.
•Make invitations and give them to all of your friends, acquaintances, and family members, and e-mail everyone you know who would be interested. I also give them to my dentist, doctor, people I know at the local grocery store, and people I know at church.
•Have a framed 8x11 or 11x17 picture of your cover on an easel for display.
•Prepare flyers... not just black and white blurbs about your book, but jazz it up and make it look professional. Include a short "eye-catcher" blurb about your book, a list of one liner endorsements, a short bio about yourself and the availability of your book. Be sure to always include your web page on every piece of paper that you have for handouts.
•Always have bookmarks to give the customer with every book you sign.
•Have a candy dish at your table filled with candy. However, always ask the store manager if it is alright. This is important because some store managers don't like food in their store. I've never been turned down; however, I do always buy the individually wrapped mints.
•People love "free-bies." Here is a list of what I take to every book signing:
1. Framed Book Cover on a stand. Not all bookstores have signs printed for your book signing.
2. A transparent bookstand to show off the books. They show off the book better as opposed to just having the books lying on the table.
3. Postcards to hand out -- with your book cover and a short blurb, availability and web page.
4. Flyers printed on colored stock so that they stand out. Ask the store manager if you can put a few up on their windows. I've never been turned down. After all, they want to sell books too.
5. Brochures. This is up to you. I have brochures with me, but I don't put them out because of the expense. However, every now and then I do run into a librarian or a school book buyer and I do give one to them.
6. Business Cards -- have them in a nice business card holder next to your book cover -- make sure your cards list your web page.
7. Pens with your book title and web page printed on them -- this tip I picked up at a book conference. When a customer buys my book, I sign it with one of my pens and then I give them the pen along with the book.
8. Bookmarks -- This is a must. Every book should include a bookmark. Have them made with a small picture of your book cover, a list of very short two or three word endorsements and your web page.
9. A table cloth -- It has been my experience that some book stores have already set the table with a table cloth and some don't.
I always carry one with me just in case.
This may seem like a lot, but believe me, when it is laid out on the table, it isn't much. Keep in mind we are professionals, so everything you do, think like a professional.
Last but certainly not least... never sit at your table. Don't be shy; greet the customers as they walk by, smile, introduce yourself, hand them a flyer, and tell them that you are a local author who is having a book signing today on behalf of (name of bookstore). Tell them a little about your book.
If you are like me, book signings are a lot of work, but they are also a lot of fun! You meet a lot of very interesting people, and even if they don't buy your book, they walk away with a flyer or a postcard and they will either read it or check your web page.
More importantly, when you are done, always thank the store manager and the staff who participated in your book signing. Never leave without a thank you and a hand shake.
Since I have practiced this... I have been invited back several times to most of the bookstores in my area, and now they order a minimum of about 25 books, and I always sell-out!
Good Luck and Happy Book Signing.
Copyright © 2007-2008 Judy Azar LeBlanc
About The Author
Award Winning Author, Judy Azar LeBlanc was born in Raton, New Mexico, and was raised and educated in Albuquerque, and is an Honored Member of the Cambridge Who's Who, Toastmasters International, and the Arizona Author's Association. She is a graduate of San Jose University, in San Jose, California, where she did graduate work in Industrial Psychology. An award-winning author, her fourth and favorite title "Many Faces to Many Places" is preceded by "Things My Father Never Taught Me", "The Compromise," and "The Unveiling." LeBlanc is internationally published in the FONATUR Tourist Magazine, sponsored by the federal government of Mexico. Visit her website at http://www.manyfacestomanyplaces.com
Starting A Musical Career
Beginning a musical career can be difficult if you do not know how to break into the mainstream industry. Everyone has dreams and yours are no less important, but unless you know the right people to contact or the best businesses to approach, you could be left floundering in one spot, unable to move forward and unable to go back. If you are looking to carry your singing, acting, performing, or unique career forward to the next level, you will need to know what kind of people to consult and where to go.
Depending on what exactly you are searching for you should find an excellent music consultant. There are companies locally that are available to assist you in determining what music would best suit you, or how to best go about presenting your music you have either written or had written for you. Your performance is directly related to your ability and your presentation and if you have someone that is qualified in that aspect, it will help to move your career further ahead in the right direction that much faster
The ins and outs of the music industry can be extremely overwhelming to the layman and offers no respite to singers and performers alike, regardless of your talent. You need a music industry consultant to help you understand everything you will be involved in and help you keep a fresh perspective on what will be involved in your journey to the top. With their help and assistance you will be able to better understand everything surrounding your endeavors. Although they can only show you the way to a certain limit, their input will be helpful toward setting your goals and accomplishing them.
Looking at things from the other end of the business spectrum, engaging the assistance of a music business consultant is another excellent way of getting a handle on the music industry from a business perspective to better fulfill any goals you are trying to achieve. There are various fronts to the business aspect of music, and knowing the right people can raise your chances of succeeding. The business end of show business can be confusing, but hiring the right consultant can put you in a better place to understand and use the benefits to move up and forward toward the career you desire.
Keep these in mind when you are beginning your music, singing, or acting career. There will be many ups and downs during your journey, why make them any more difficult than necessary?
The Author
Ty Cohen
Ty Cohen Platinum Millennium Publishing PO Box 644 Garner, NC 27529 Ty@PlatinumMillennium.com 1-866-752-9968 Want Free Music Biz Advice? Who else wants to receive free advice from "Mr X", a man who has helped artist such as New Edition, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Puff Daddy, Prince and More, including up an comers just like you, to sell nearly 150 Gold & Platinum Albums Worldwide! Now he wants to help you, by offering you private consulting as well as giving you a free copy of his audio CD "7 Golden Secrets to Succeeding in the Music Industry" Visit http://www.MusicBizCenter.com/freecd1 to get your free CD mailed out to you right now.
Starting A Musical Career
Beginning a musical career can be difficult if you do not know how to break into the mainstream industry. Everyone has dreams and yours are no less important, but unless you know the right people to contact or the best businesses to approach, you could be left floundering in one spot, unable to move forward and unable to go back. If you are looking to carry your singing, acting, performing, or unique career forward to the next level, you will need to know what kind of people to consult and where to go.
Depending on what exactly you are searching for you should find an excellent music consultant. There are companies locally that are available to assist you in determining what music would best suit you, or how to best go about presenting your music you have either written or had written for you. Your performance is directly related to your ability and your presentation and if you have someone that is qualified in that aspect, it will help to move your career further ahead in the right direction that much faster
The ins and outs of the music industry can be extremely overwhelming to the layman and offers no respite to singers and performers alike, regardless of your talent. You need a music industry consultant to help you understand everything you will be involved in and help you keep a fresh perspective on what will be involved in your journey to the top. With their help and assistance you will be able to better understand everything surrounding your endeavors. Although they can only show you the way to a certain limit, their input will be helpful toward setting your goals and accomplishing them.
Looking at things from the other end of the business spectrum, engaging the assistance of a music business consultant is another excellent way of getting a handle on the music industry from a business perspective to better fulfill any goals you are trying to achieve. There are various fronts to the business aspect of music, and knowing the right people can raise your chances of succeeding. The business end of show business can be confusing, but hiring the right consultant can put you in a better place to understand and use the benefits to move up and forward toward the career you desire.
Keep these in mind when you are beginning your music, singing, or acting career. There will be many ups and downs during your journey, why make them any more difficult than necessary?
The Author
Ty Cohen
Ty Cohen Platinum Millennium Publishing PO Box 644 Garner, NC 27529 Ty@PlatinumMillennium.com 1-866-752-9968 Want Free Music Biz Advice? Who else wants to receive free advice from "Mr X", a man who has helped artist such as New Edition, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Puff Daddy, Prince and More, including up an comers just like you, to sell nearly 150 Gold & Platinum Albums Worldwide! Now he wants to help you, by offering you private consulting as well as giving you a free copy of his audio CD "7 Golden Secrets to Succeeding in the Music Industry" Visit http://www.MusicBizCenter.com/freecd1 to get your free CD mailed out to you right now.
Depending on what exactly you are searching for you should find an excellent music consultant. There are companies locally that are available to assist you in determining what music would best suit you, or how to best go about presenting your music you have either written or had written for you. Your performance is directly related to your ability and your presentation and if you have someone that is qualified in that aspect, it will help to move your career further ahead in the right direction that much faster
The ins and outs of the music industry can be extremely overwhelming to the layman and offers no respite to singers and performers alike, regardless of your talent. You need a music industry consultant to help you understand everything you will be involved in and help you keep a fresh perspective on what will be involved in your journey to the top. With their help and assistance you will be able to better understand everything surrounding your endeavors. Although they can only show you the way to a certain limit, their input will be helpful toward setting your goals and accomplishing them.
Looking at things from the other end of the business spectrum, engaging the assistance of a music business consultant is another excellent way of getting a handle on the music industry from a business perspective to better fulfill any goals you are trying to achieve. There are various fronts to the business aspect of music, and knowing the right people can raise your chances of succeeding. The business end of show business can be confusing, but hiring the right consultant can put you in a better place to understand and use the benefits to move up and forward toward the career you desire.
Keep these in mind when you are beginning your music, singing, or acting career. There will be many ups and downs during your journey, why make them any more difficult than necessary?
The Author
Ty Cohen
Ty Cohen Platinum Millennium Publishing PO Box 644 Garner, NC 27529 Ty@PlatinumMillennium.com 1-866-752-9968 Want Free Music Biz Advice? Who else wants to receive free advice from "Mr X", a man who has helped artist such as New Edition, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Puff Daddy, Prince and More, including up an comers just like you, to sell nearly 150 Gold & Platinum Albums Worldwide! Now he wants to help you, by offering you private consulting as well as giving you a free copy of his audio CD "7 Golden Secrets to Succeeding in the Music Industry" Visit http://www.MusicBizCenter.com/freecd1 to get your free CD mailed out to you right now.
How To Write A Successful Business Plan
Whether you are planning to start a brand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. A business plan not only lends your business a sense of credibility, but also helps you to cover all your bases, increasing your chances of success.
Although writing a business plan can be a lengthy, intimidating project, it is not necessarily difficult. Here is an overview of how to write a successful business plan.
What to Include in Your Business Plan
Your business plan needs to demonstrate that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of running your business. To that end, the standard business plan has nine major sections, covering everything from your business’s mission statement to a detailed financial analysis.
Executive Summary
The first – and most important – section of your business plan is the executive summary. This section is so important that it should literally be the first thing the reader sees – even before the table of contents! However, it should also be written last, as you’ll have a better understanding of the overall message of your business plan after you’ve researched and written the other sections.
One of the most important parts of the executive summary is the mission statement. The mission statement is only three or four sentences long, but it should pack the most punch out of everything else in your business plan: Those four sentences are responsible for not only defining your business, but also capturing the interest of your reader.
The rest of your executive summary should fill in the important details that the mission statement glosses over. For instance, your executive summary should include a short history of the business, including founder profiles and start date; a current snapshot, listing locations, numbers of employees, and products or services offered; and a summary of future plans and goals.
This section is a candidate for a bulleted format, which allows you to list main points in a manner that is easy to scan. Avoid using too much detail – remember, this section is a summary. A page or two is usually sufficient for an executive summary.
Market Analysis
The next section of your business plan focuses on market analysis. In order to show that your business has a reasonable chance for success, you will need to thoroughly research the industry and the market you intend to sell to. No bank or investor is going to back a doomed venture, so this section is sure to fall under especially close scrutiny if you are looking for financing.
Your market analysis should describe your industry, including the size, growth rate, and trends that could affect the industry. This section should also describe your target market – that is, the type or group of customers that your company intends to serve. The description of your target market should include detail such as:
• Distinguishing characteristics
• The needs your company or product line will meet
• What media and/or marketing methods you’ll use to reach them
• What percentage of your target market you expect to be able to wrest away from your competitors
In addition, your market analysis should include the results of any market tests you have done, and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.
Company Description
After your market analysis, your business plan will need to include a description of your company. This section should describe:
• The nature of your business
• The needs of the market
• How your business will meet these needs
• Your target market, including specific individuals and/or organizations
• The factors that set you apart from your competition and make you likely to succeed
Although some of these things overlap with the previous section, they are still necessary parts of your company description. Each section of your business plan should have the ability to stand on its own if need be. In other words, the company description should thoroughly describe your company, even if certain aspects are covered in other sections.
Organization and Management
Once you have described the nature and purpose of your company, you will need to explain your staff setup. This section should include:
• The division of labor – how company processes are divided among the staff
• The management hierarchy
• Profiles of the company’s owner(s), management personnel, and the Board of Directors
• Employee incentives, such as salary, benefits packages, and bonuses
This goal of this section is to demonstrate not only good organization within the company, but also the ability to create loyalty in your employees. Long-term employees minimize human resource costs and increase a business’s chances for success, so banks and investors will want to see that you have an effective system in place for maintaining your staff.
Marketing and Sales Management
The purpose of the marketing and sales section of your business plan is to outline your strategies for marketing your products or services. This section also plans for company growth by describing how the growth could take place.
The section should describe your company’s:
• Marketing methods
• Distributions methods
• Type of sales force
• Sales activities
• Growth strategies
Product or Services
Following the marketing section of your business plan, you will need a section focusing on the product or services your business offers. This is more than a simple description of your product or services, though. You will also need to include:
• The specific benefits your product or service offers customers
• The specific needs of the market, and how your product will meet them
• The advantages your product has over your competitors
• Any copyright, trade secret, or patent information pertaining to your product
• Where any new products or services are in the research and development process
• Current industry research that you could use in the development of products and services
Funding Request
Only once you have described your business from head to toe are you ready to detail your funding needs. This section should include everything a bank or investor needs in order to understand what type of funding you want:
• How much money you need now
• How much money you think you will need over the next five years
• How the money you borrow will be used
• How long you will need funding
• What type of funding you want (i.e. loans, investors, etc.)
• Any other terms you want the funding arrangement to include
Financials
The financials section in your business plan supports your request for outside funding. This section provides an analysis of your company’s prospective financial success. The section also details your company’s financial track record for the past three to five years, unless you are seeking financing for a startup business.
The financials section should include:
• Company income statements for prior years
• Balance sheets for prior years
• Cash flow statements for prior years
• Forecasted company income statements
• Forecasted balance sheets
• Forecasted cash flow statements
• Projections for the next five years – every month or quarter for the first year, with longer intervals for the remaining years
• Collateral you can use to secure a loan
The financials section is a great place to include visuals such as graphs, particularly if you predict a positive trend in your projected financials. A graph allows the reader to quickly take in this information, and may do a better job of encouraging a bank or investor to finance your business. However, be sure that the amount of financing you are requesting is in keeping with your projected financials – no matter how impressive your projections are, if you are asking for more money than is warranted, no bank or investor will give it to you.
Appendices
The appendix is the final section in your business plan. Essentially, this is where you put all of the information that doesn’t fit in the other eight sections, but that someone – particularly a bank or investor – might need to see.
For instance, the market analysis section of your business plan may list the results of market studies you have done as part of your market research. Rather than listing the details of the studies in that section, where they will appear cumbersome and detract from the flow of your business plan, you can provide this information in an appendix.
Other information that should be relegated to an appendix includes
• Credit histories for both you and your business
• Letters of reference
• References that have bearing on your company and your product or service, such as magazines or books on the topic
• Company licenses and patents
• Copies of contracts, leases, and other legal documents
• Resumes of your top managers
• Names of business consultants, such as your accountant and attorney
Writing a Successful Business Plan
Despite the quantity of information contained in your business plan, it should be laid out in a format that is easy to read. Just like with any piece of business writing, it is important to craft your business plan with your intended audience in mind – and the bankers, investors, and other busy professionals who will read your business plan almost certainly won’t have time to read a tedious document with long-winded paragraphs and large blocks of text.
Business plans for startup companies and company expansions are typically between twenty to forty pages long, but formatting actually accounts for a lot of this length. A strong business plan uses bullet points throughout to break up long sections and highlight its main points. Visuals such as tables and charts are also used to quickly relay specific information, such as trends in sales and other financial information. These techniques ensure that the reader can skim the business plan quickly and efficiently.
Think of your audience as only having fifteen minutes to spend on each business plan that comes across their desks. In that fifteen minutes, you not only have to relay your most important points, but also convince the reader that your business venture merits a financial investment. Your best bet is a well-researched business plan, with an organized, easy-to-read format and clear, confident prose.
About The Author
Jason Kay is a former professional business plan writer and provides business start up advice. He contributes to business magazines and websites such as http://BudgetBusinessPlans.com, which provides business plan writing services and business plan samples.
Although writing a business plan can be a lengthy, intimidating project, it is not necessarily difficult. Here is an overview of how to write a successful business plan.
What to Include in Your Business Plan
Your business plan needs to demonstrate that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of running your business. To that end, the standard business plan has nine major sections, covering everything from your business’s mission statement to a detailed financial analysis.
Executive Summary
The first – and most important – section of your business plan is the executive summary. This section is so important that it should literally be the first thing the reader sees – even before the table of contents! However, it should also be written last, as you’ll have a better understanding of the overall message of your business plan after you’ve researched and written the other sections.
One of the most important parts of the executive summary is the mission statement. The mission statement is only three or four sentences long, but it should pack the most punch out of everything else in your business plan: Those four sentences are responsible for not only defining your business, but also capturing the interest of your reader.
The rest of your executive summary should fill in the important details that the mission statement glosses over. For instance, your executive summary should include a short history of the business, including founder profiles and start date; a current snapshot, listing locations, numbers of employees, and products or services offered; and a summary of future plans and goals.
This section is a candidate for a bulleted format, which allows you to list main points in a manner that is easy to scan. Avoid using too much detail – remember, this section is a summary. A page or two is usually sufficient for an executive summary.
Market Analysis
The next section of your business plan focuses on market analysis. In order to show that your business has a reasonable chance for success, you will need to thoroughly research the industry and the market you intend to sell to. No bank or investor is going to back a doomed venture, so this section is sure to fall under especially close scrutiny if you are looking for financing.
Your market analysis should describe your industry, including the size, growth rate, and trends that could affect the industry. This section should also describe your target market – that is, the type or group of customers that your company intends to serve. The description of your target market should include detail such as:
• Distinguishing characteristics
• The needs your company or product line will meet
• What media and/or marketing methods you’ll use to reach them
• What percentage of your target market you expect to be able to wrest away from your competitors
In addition, your market analysis should include the results of any market tests you have done, and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.
Company Description
After your market analysis, your business plan will need to include a description of your company. This section should describe:
• The nature of your business
• The needs of the market
• How your business will meet these needs
• Your target market, including specific individuals and/or organizations
• The factors that set you apart from your competition and make you likely to succeed
Although some of these things overlap with the previous section, they are still necessary parts of your company description. Each section of your business plan should have the ability to stand on its own if need be. In other words, the company description should thoroughly describe your company, even if certain aspects are covered in other sections.
Organization and Management
Once you have described the nature and purpose of your company, you will need to explain your staff setup. This section should include:
• The division of labor – how company processes are divided among the staff
• The management hierarchy
• Profiles of the company’s owner(s), management personnel, and the Board of Directors
• Employee incentives, such as salary, benefits packages, and bonuses
This goal of this section is to demonstrate not only good organization within the company, but also the ability to create loyalty in your employees. Long-term employees minimize human resource costs and increase a business’s chances for success, so banks and investors will want to see that you have an effective system in place for maintaining your staff.
Marketing and Sales Management
The purpose of the marketing and sales section of your business plan is to outline your strategies for marketing your products or services. This section also plans for company growth by describing how the growth could take place.
The section should describe your company’s:
• Marketing methods
• Distributions methods
• Type of sales force
• Sales activities
• Growth strategies
Product or Services
Following the marketing section of your business plan, you will need a section focusing on the product or services your business offers. This is more than a simple description of your product or services, though. You will also need to include:
• The specific benefits your product or service offers customers
• The specific needs of the market, and how your product will meet them
• The advantages your product has over your competitors
• Any copyright, trade secret, or patent information pertaining to your product
• Where any new products or services are in the research and development process
• Current industry research that you could use in the development of products and services
Funding Request
Only once you have described your business from head to toe are you ready to detail your funding needs. This section should include everything a bank or investor needs in order to understand what type of funding you want:
• How much money you need now
• How much money you think you will need over the next five years
• How the money you borrow will be used
• How long you will need funding
• What type of funding you want (i.e. loans, investors, etc.)
• Any other terms you want the funding arrangement to include
Financials
The financials section in your business plan supports your request for outside funding. This section provides an analysis of your company’s prospective financial success. The section also details your company’s financial track record for the past three to five years, unless you are seeking financing for a startup business.
The financials section should include:
• Company income statements for prior years
• Balance sheets for prior years
• Cash flow statements for prior years
• Forecasted company income statements
• Forecasted balance sheets
• Forecasted cash flow statements
• Projections for the next five years – every month or quarter for the first year, with longer intervals for the remaining years
• Collateral you can use to secure a loan
The financials section is a great place to include visuals such as graphs, particularly if you predict a positive trend in your projected financials. A graph allows the reader to quickly take in this information, and may do a better job of encouraging a bank or investor to finance your business. However, be sure that the amount of financing you are requesting is in keeping with your projected financials – no matter how impressive your projections are, if you are asking for more money than is warranted, no bank or investor will give it to you.
Appendices
The appendix is the final section in your business plan. Essentially, this is where you put all of the information that doesn’t fit in the other eight sections, but that someone – particularly a bank or investor – might need to see.
For instance, the market analysis section of your business plan may list the results of market studies you have done as part of your market research. Rather than listing the details of the studies in that section, where they will appear cumbersome and detract from the flow of your business plan, you can provide this information in an appendix.
Other information that should be relegated to an appendix includes
• Credit histories for both you and your business
• Letters of reference
• References that have bearing on your company and your product or service, such as magazines or books on the topic
• Company licenses and patents
• Copies of contracts, leases, and other legal documents
• Resumes of your top managers
• Names of business consultants, such as your accountant and attorney
Writing a Successful Business Plan
Despite the quantity of information contained in your business plan, it should be laid out in a format that is easy to read. Just like with any piece of business writing, it is important to craft your business plan with your intended audience in mind – and the bankers, investors, and other busy professionals who will read your business plan almost certainly won’t have time to read a tedious document with long-winded paragraphs and large blocks of text.
Business plans for startup companies and company expansions are typically between twenty to forty pages long, but formatting actually accounts for a lot of this length. A strong business plan uses bullet points throughout to break up long sections and highlight its main points. Visuals such as tables and charts are also used to quickly relay specific information, such as trends in sales and other financial information. These techniques ensure that the reader can skim the business plan quickly and efficiently.
Think of your audience as only having fifteen minutes to spend on each business plan that comes across their desks. In that fifteen minutes, you not only have to relay your most important points, but also convince the reader that your business venture merits a financial investment. Your best bet is a well-researched business plan, with an organized, easy-to-read format and clear, confident prose.
About The Author
Jason Kay is a former professional business plan writer and provides business start up advice. He contributes to business magazines and websites such as http://BudgetBusinessPlans.com, which provides business plan writing services and business plan samples.
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