Strategic Planning Articles

Business » Strategic Planning | By Sandra Noble @ Thursday, 27th March 2008 @ 9:28 PM

Choices you make could be a matter of life and death. Or they could be a matter of joy or despair. Sometimes we're not happy with any of our alternatives. But champions know how to take lemons and make lemonade. There's lots of excitement and enthusiasm about the 2008 US presidential campaign. Reporter, journalists and political scientist are loving it. I've received numerous emails with different angles and perspective on the candidates and issues. I'm pleased that th... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Karen Scharf @ Thursday, 27th March 2008 @ 6:47 AM

Can you believe the first quarter of the year is almost over?! When you look at your business, the amount of money you've earned, the number of new clients you've added, are you 25% to where you want to be for the year? If not, why not? And what do you plan to do about it? I'm sure you've heard the adage, "If you're failing to plan, you're planning to fail." And you probably thought, "Gee that's clever, a little corny, but it doesn't rea... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Jack Deal @ Wednesday, 26th March 2008 @ 2:20 AM

It happens in business, it happens in politics, it happens in life. There are those that wait for things to happen and there are those that make things happen. There are those that are in control and those that are controlled. There are those that have concluded it is easier and more enlightening to let things go and let things happen as they do. Perhaps secretly they want to become Buddhist monks and pledge a life of poverty. Clearly fatalistic, their idea is i... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Steve Albright @ Tuesday, 25th March 2008 @ 3:56 PM

Creating your own product to sell online is not as hard as it may seem at first. These days digital products are a hot commodity simply because they are informative, easily obtainable, and cost less than physical products. The first step to creating a product that will sell well and will easily make you several thousand dollars is market research. You want to use a variety of keyword research tools to find out exactly what people are searching for on the internet. This will help you na... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Scott Letourneau @ Friday, 21st March 2008 @ 7:25 PM

Some individuals looking to form a Nevada corporation or LLC are hoping that if they get sued no one will find out who the owner of the corporation or LLC is, thus, preventing them from being the target of frivolous lawsuits. In the context of litigation, the best scenario is presenting a properly structured business model and having the court rule in your favor with the end result being your assets are protected! Now, if it takes longer for someone to get to first base in your situation... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Jack Deal @ Tuesday, 18th March 2008 @ 1:23 AM

You get what you pay for is the consumer's mantra. Common sense knows that if it costs less it is more likely of inferior quality. Unfortunately quality is relative and subjective and even unwieldy. For that reason and common sense the value the customer puts on quality is where the quality line should be drawn. Still it is not rocket science here; a rather straightforward case of supply and demand. If the consumer cannot tell the difference in an improvement, why do it... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Glen Smith @ Monday, 17th March 2008 @ 12:34 PM

Once you have decided on your big goal, it's time to start putting resources in place that you need. Firstly, complete a Concept Card (1), fill in the details of your coach, key advisors and key resources but right now I am only going to talk about selecting a coach. You will probably have to pay for coaching one way or another and the reason to have a coach is to avoid the pitfalls along the way and to not start off by developing bad habits. I prefer to start off with relativ... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Donald Mitchell @ Thursday, 13th March 2008 @ 11:18 AM

Put the average company into a high-growth situation (for its industry) for the first time, and you'll soon see overoptimism sprouting everywhere. In the aftermath of the Arab oil embargo and the subsequent rise in the cost of energy, Americans began using all sorts of new ways to reduce their energy use and costs. One idea for heating your home was to cut your own wood to burn in wood stoves and fireplaces. Soon, every wooded neighborhood was abuzz with the sound of busy chain saws... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Ambar Hamid @ Monday, 10th March 2008 @ 7:40 AM

There is a lot of confusion with the majority of the public today about wealth. When people think of wealth building or the accumulation of wealth, they think of making more money and spending less money. Yes there is some truth in that. It's certainly difficult to deny that. But most importantly, we cannot hide from the fact that the majority of people who craves for wealth tend to fail in achieving their true wealth. A great many of them have invested intense amount of det... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Jack Deal @ Monday, 10th March 2008 @ 2:41 AM

Growth is what it is all about. Companies that do not grow do not make money. There is a direct correlation between growth and making money. Historically growth has most often been expensive and somewhat illusory hence the willingness to accept as much growth as fast as possible. Anyone that has ever tried to grow a stagnating business knows how hard getting any growth can be so few can resist the lure of fast growth. But there negatives associated with fast growth... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Ingrid Cliff @ Monday, 10th March 2008 @ 12:42 AM

Let me take you back a few years to my government days, when I was head of the Corporate Development team within a peak government department. One of the areas my team looked after was Strategic and Business Planning for the department and all of the little units within the department. Now at that time the department was renowned for its planning. They loved having other departments take time to plan their strategies, projects and priorities. They created massive guideline manuals that m... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Donald Mitchell @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 3:39 PM

Spreadsheet software programs often cause more harm than good. Why do I say that? They give people the false sense that they can project a profitable future just by putting a few numbers in place. You can look at beautiful patterns of growth that rise smoothly into the future. Who wouldn't feel more confident after seeing such projected success? But what do those few numbers reflect? Naturally, they imply what future conditions and performance will be. Yet most of us cannot su... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Donald Mitchell @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 3:35 PM

When business conditions turn negative, take a deep breath and relax. Most circumstances are not nearly as threatening as they first appear. When dealing with the defensive postures that arise in an irresistible-force situation, a good first step is to ask how the changed circumstances could be turned into a benefit. For example, a source of any budget shortfall anxiety is usually concern that bonuses and stock options would be decimated. Talking to your investors about the new circu... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Ambar Hamid @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 3:33 AM

Many people hesitate when it comes to seminars, events and conferences. It could be that people are experiencing time constraints, inability to travel or monetary issues. It could also be that they have tried all the seminars, the gadgets, the CDs, and the books and still they haven't reached the success or wealth they want. The primary reason why most people fail to achieve anything after an event is all due to not taking consistent and persistent action. Most people just simply fai... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Donald Mitchell @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 2:37 AM

Read annual reports after a company has a bad year, and you will usually see a report from the CEO that describes a company that worked correctly and hard but was victimized by "temporary conditions." The CEO will then indicate optimism that those conditions will soon leave and performance will improve. When you read the next year's annual report, it may repeat the same mantra. Come back after a few more years, and a new CEO will be writing about new plans to help the company... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Donald Mitchell @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 2:22 AM

Perhaps one of the most persistent forms of defensiveness is the sense that the enterprise is going in the right direction, but is just not executing that direction well enough. Beware the popular answer: Let's take the most direct route from here to there, and keep it simple. Here's why that route is dangerous: In the nineteenth century, wagon trains headed to California often experienced delays in crossing the Great Plains. Knowing that they must get through the Sierra Neva... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Donald Mitchell @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 2:20 AM

Many people cannot resist chocolates. Put chocolates anywhere near them, and the candy disappears like morning dew on a hot day. As a result, these people weigh a great deal more than they would like. What solution do most pursue? They keep chocolate out of their offices, homes, and cars. They also avoid walking near any parts of stores where chocolates are offered. Opportunities are even more addictive than chocolate. Opportunity is what dreams are made of, and few executi... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Craig Miller @ Thursday, 6th March 2008 @ 2:51 AM

The first step in your product "funnel" should NEVER be coaching. You want people to ask you for coaching. That's how you will never get any objections to your fees and can comfortably choose your ideal clients. What should your first step be? You could offer an e-book, an audio program, a membership site, a teleseminar, or any other product that creates the need for coaching and implementation support. As a coach I know how hard it is to run a business, coach c... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Christine Kloser @ Sunday, 2nd March 2008 @ 8:56 AM

If you"re like most creative entrepreneurs, the thought of writing a business plan is not the highest item on your priority list. You'd rather explore new ideas, create products and services, develop a new speech, or work with your clients... than sit down and write a plan. But, to be successful in business, you need to have a plan in place. The good news is you don't have to write a formal (bank-friendly) business plan to keep your business on track. In fact, until recen... more...

Business » Strategic Planning | By Jason Oickle @ Saturday, 1st March 2008 @ 1:27 AM

If you have never heard of the Purple Cow, chances are you are missing out on one of the finest concepts to hit the internet marketing world. No, the Purple Cow is not a complete hallucination. It actually is a feasible, workable, internet marketing concept that will help make your business be extremely noticeable, just like a purple cow. The Color Purple... Seth Godin wrote a book titled "Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable". Godin is not only a t... more...