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Harness the Power of You!

There is a new series of Planter peanut commercials on the air entitled 'Harness the Power of the Peanut'.  An updated Mr. Peanut, complete with a new background voice over artist, plays the starring role in each commercial.  I caught one this evening on TV showing Mr. Peanut as a motivational speaker.  That tiny little peanut-sized character stands in front of an audience of convention attendees.   In a style ala Tony Robbins and other big name motivational speakers, he touts the values of the peanut  - protein and nutrients.  The audience, eyes glazed over in rapt attention, nod their [...]

By |2020-11-11T17:37:39-05:00August 14th, 2013|Market Planning, Strategy|
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A Business Continuity Plan May Save Your Small Business

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter  March – April 2013                           Volume 10 --  Issue 52   For those paying attention, you probably noticed over the past several years, an increase in news of disasters.  We have been inundated by  news and weather reports of a growing number of natural disasters. You name the type - hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, mud slides, blizzards or drought. Regardless of your personal beliefs regarding global warming, climate change or natural cycles here on Earth, news coverage indicates that natural disasters have [...]

By |2017-01-08T01:51:12-05:00March 15th, 2013|Newsletter, Strategic Management, Strategic Planning, Strategy|
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Customers – Separate the Wheat and Chaff

I was reading an article written by Jim Clinton, CEO at Gallup. The title of the article was: "America is Losing Jobs by Ignoring Its Best Trading Partners."   The article discussed how the we spend so much time focused on Russia, China and the Middle East, all of which are very small players in the GDP here in the United States. The article went on to say that Mexico and South America are much better friends to us and represent a much larger piece of our GDP and therefore, our economic situation. "So what?" you might ask. "What does that have to [...]

By |2016-12-27T21:16:05-05:00February 19th, 2013|Customer Relationships, Strategy|
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Customer Service Strategy: Kill Customers with Kindness

Have you considered the importance and value of your online presence in handling customer service issues?  At the very least, every company needs a web site or other online presence where customers can find them.   Yes, even your company's online presence requires a customer service strategy. Today’s customers do online research before moving forward with a purchase or business relationship.  They also use the Internet to share any bad experiences they had during a transaction. Sometimes they even share good experiences and feelings.  Really.  Reviews are important to potential customers, so be sure to have a method for your [...]

By |2016-12-27T23:55:05-05:00July 19th, 2012|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
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Know What Business You Are In – Then Tell Your Customers

Some time ago, I read a posting in the Successful and Outstanding Blog(gers)  blog that really impressed me.  It impressed me enough to bookmark it in my laptop to review from time to time.   The post was written by Liz Strauss, a well-known business strategist.  Liz related the story of a businessman who owned businesses in the fields of newspapers, magazines and books.  She was hired to develop strategy to turn the book business around and refocus it on success. Several months into her assignment, one of those great 'Ah-ha!' moments occurred.  She reminded the owner that while his three businesses are similar, they are clearly not exactly [...]

By |2016-12-28T00:01:35-05:00May 23rd, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategic Planning|
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Strategic Management: Surfing Is Not a Business Model

I was channel surfing (no pun intended) last weekend and ran across an old movie about a women's surfing competition.  I watched for a while.  Time and time again, young competitors would paddle their surfboards out into the ocean, sit straddled over the boards, and wait.  They looked out over the ocean for what they hoped would be a good wave.  Not just a good wave to ride, mind you, but a big, great wave to ride into shore. The better the wave, the more opportunity to score higher points for their surfing prowess.   Sit - Wait - Hope; over and over.  From [...]

By |2016-12-28T00:51:16-05:00March 13th, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategy|
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The Business You Deserve – Have You Achieved it Yet?

"At age 50, everyone has the face he deserves." ~ George Orwell, Novelist   As a small business owner, you have visions and dreams of launching and building a successful business.  What Success means to you personally can vary.  But, can you honestly tell yourself that you have achieved the business that you deserve? I'm not entirely sure where Mr. Orwell got his perspective on faces being deserved. I doubt that in his heyday people were inundated with advertisements for facial creams and cosmetic surgery to improve their looks.  Back then, people believed a few wrinkles and age spots were signs [...]

By |2020-11-11T19:06:04-05:00February 29th, 2012|Business Planning, Strategic Planning|
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Focused Strategy or Bright, Shiny Objects?

In today’s world, business owners and leaders are inundated with information from all sides:  newspapers, magazines, Internet sites, social media, blogs, white papers, news reports, e-mail marketing.  It all seems endless – distracting and terribly confusing.  Someone is constantly touting their next bright shiny object idea, in most cases guaranteed to distract you from a focused strategy that will take you and your firm where you want to be. These distractions can take many forms.  The bright, shiny object might be a new software application, promises of doubling  traffic to your website, a new marketing miracle, an expensive seminar or [...]

By |2016-12-28T01:12:46-05:00January 25th, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategic Planning|
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Plan for Success – Strategically

As we near the end of 2011 we should all be well on our way to developing a plan for success in 2012 and beyond. When starting a new business, too many entrepreneurs take a fly by the seat of your pants approach, fueled by passion and excitement over the great product or service they want to introduce.  They look to the end game through rose-colored glasses without considering the beginning and the middle phases of growing a successful business.  The correct way to start is to plan for success through a strategic process. Planning is often viewed as a pretty unproductive approach [...]

By |2016-12-29T00:46:56-05:00November 13th, 2011|Strategic Planning|
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Branding: Put Your Best Foot Forward

In today's world of Internet marketing and social media, and a challenging economy, small businesses on tight budgets with no marketing staff have taken to doing their own marketing.  Many have never done the research and homework necessary to develop their company or personal brand.  Without a clearly defined brand, your company is just one of a growing list of competitors, with no clear way to stand out and catch customers' attention.  Branding is the basis of all marketing efforts. Why branding is so important A well developed brand will send a constant message through a variety of targeted marketing channels that rings with: "We're better [...]

By |2016-12-29T00:57:51-05:00October 17th, 2011|Branding, Market Planning, Marketing|
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