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If you’ve ever had to take a personality test, you may have heard of Myers-Briggs.  One of the dichotomies explored in this test is a person’s lifestyle preference.  If you are a “J” for judging, you like to have matters settled in relation to the outside world.  If you a “P” for perceiving, you tend to like to keep your options open. 

If you are a serious thinker and planner, and like to have matters settled, you may have no problem creating detailed business and marketing plans.  If you lean more toward keeping your options open, however, you may be more challenged when it comes to the business world. 

Anyone can put out a shingle and offer products or services.  Yard sale enthusiasts do it all the time.  However, if you want to have a business that is effective, efficient, and profitable, you have to have a plan.  You can’t get to where you want to go if you’re not sure where that is. 

All the technological tools in the world will not build your business if you don’t have a goal.  Even a GPS system asks you what your destination is!  If you don’t take the time to narrow your focus and plot a course, your efforts will not achieve the desired results.

Perhaps you already have a business plan and the marketing plan scares you.  There are so many options today- TV, radio, newspaper, internet, social media, billboards, mobile phones, magazines, corporate sponsorships… If you don’t plan how to target your products or services to the right people, you could spend thousands and not make a single sale. 

The good news is that you’re not alone.  People in your community and people you know are at varying levels of business experience and success.  Business coaches and marketing firms can help you clarify your goals and create a workable strategy to meet them. 

AMW Marketing is one of those companies that can help- offering customized solutions to meet your marketing needs. 

Evaluate Your Most Important Resources- Part I

Non-profit organizations have unique challenges especially when it comes to marketing. Budgets are smaller, resources are limited and board members can be overly cautious. But there are a few things non-profits can do to make the most of their dollars. Knowing what resources you have along with having a clear definition of your goals can help. Consider your resources before directing your marketing initiatives.

Review your database – One of the most valuable resources non-profit organizations have is their own database. These are people who have been involved with your mission and your organization in some way. Take time to inspect your lists regularly. Ask yourself some questions about donors and volunteers. When was the last time you communicated to the entire list? Is the list still accurate? How is the list segmented? Can you add more fields or capture information in your database that will help you to send out more targeted messages to your constituents? Spending time learning as much as you can about your database is time wisely spent.

What other treasures will you find when you take inventory? More on my next post!