Suppose you were going from Atlanta to Topeka because you want to buy a farm. Would you just hop in the car and start driving? Of course not. You'd consult a map to plan the best way to get there.

Now further suppose that about half way there you saw a billboard advertising a farm for sale in a great little community that you'd like to live in. Do you stop and investigate? Or do you keep going because it isn't in the plan?

How long does it take you to make a decision? Are you the type of person that changes your mind often, or do you usually follow a set routine?

Believe it or not, both of these habits are often caused by the same thing: lack of planning.

Neither is inherently "bad"; it's simply something you should know about yourself. And it's something you should consider when talking or writing about your plans.

This is not to suggest that mind changers never talk about their plans, or that the more predictable folks can always feel safe doing so.

Think about how the things you say will affect both your credibility and reputation.

What happens if you announce a new product or service and then change your mind when it doesn't meet needs or expectations?

What happens (or doesn't happen) when you never make updates or changes?

They say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But just because it isn't broken doesn't mean it works well.

Until next time,
Vanessa

Business Spotlight


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Do You Have And Use A Plan For Your Business?

A goal is just a dream until you create and implement a plan to achieve it.

Our last question was: Does your business follow the current trends, or do you use a set plan?

These may seem exclusive, but that's not necessarily so. The best plans are made with flexibility in mind, and keeping current should be a part of any plan.

The problems happen when you switch from one path to another, and then to another with no clear destination in mind.

This not only creates confusion in your customer's mind; you also often end up confusing yourself.

It's one thing to switch to a new or better method of reaching your goal. This is especially true when you consider how quickly technology is changed and improved. You should take advantage of that which gives you an advantage.

But it's another thing to become distracted and change directions every time something new comes along simply because it sounds good. It really doesn't matter how good it is if it doesn't help you get where you're trying to go.

There are lots of new interactive add-ons available now for websites. Many are fairly low cost and some are even free. Does this make them right for your business?

If you keep you goals in mind, it will become much easier to evaluate any changes to your plans. Ask yourself a few questions such as:

• Does this change fit the way I conduct my business?
• Will this change make things better or get me closer to my goal?
• Is this a change that fits my personal style?
• Am I able or willing to do everything that may be necessary not only to make the change, but to keep it up?

For example, many business owners get excited about blogging. They hear all the wonderful things a blog can do for customer relations and improving SEO. They figure that since "everybody else" is doing it, they better get one too.

Then they discover that having a well done blog requires a lot of time and effort before there are any results. And they may not even be sure what results to look for.

Am I against blogging? Absolutely not! I think blogs are a wonderful tool for those that have the talent and time to commit.

The point is that there are hundreds of marketing and communications tools available, and thousands of ways to combine and use them. Find the combination that works best for you and your business goals and plans.

This column focuses on easily confused words and common language mistakes.

Here is a space or place.
Hear is what you do with your ears.

Get good business advice right here in this newsletter.
Can you hear the difference in the two types of music?

Where is a place or location.
Were is the plural past tense of the word is.

Do you know where the store will be built?
We knew they were making plans for expansion.

Your turn readers. What word foul-up drives you to distraction?

Exercise
This month's question: What do people think when they look at your business? What type of impression are you making? Next time we'll discuss how you can put this information to use.