While many CEOs like to make decisions intuitively, reacting to new events as they occur, others prefer to create and then implement plans. Both styles of management can be effective depending on the circumstances and the individuals involved.

Our experience suggests, however, that businesses and organizations are generally more likely to succeed if they develop and then adhere to a focused business plan, reviewed monthly and revised on a quarterly basis. Usually, this plan:

• Takes into account their mission, purpose and core values,.

• Examines their current and future markets,

• Analyzes their internal strengths and weaknesses as well as events occurring in the external environment,

• Sets a small number of reachable goals

• Specifies the implementation steps needed to accomplish those goals, the timetable for the process, and the metrics to know when the goals have been reached

Marketing Solutions works with CEOs to facilitate the creation of business plans and to develop the implementation steps and timetable (i.e., the operating plan) that will make the business plan an effective living document, something to use as the basis of decision making, rather than a report that sits on a shelf.

Because we believe that plans are most effective when created and "owned" by the CEO or owner, we facilitate the process of plan development and implementation, but do not actually create the plan ourselves, though we may assist with the writing of the plan. Once a plan is in place, we often work with clients on an ongoing basis, coaching and assisting them as they implement the plan.

In some instances, a business plan already exists, but a client may need help developing a marketing plan. In such cases, we work with the client to

• Examine their current market and marketing strategy,

• Research competitors, potential market size, and expected market share,

• Develop a stronger marketing niche, if appropriate,

• Revise the marketing strategy in accordance with the research described above,

• Develop a small number of concrete and attainable marketing goals,

• Create a timetable of marketing tasks, including a monthly calendar of marketing and PR events needed to accomplish the client's marketing goals.