Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan

No matter what type of business you either have or plan to have and whether it is a home based business or not, it is a good idea to have a marketing plan. In fact, if you want to survive in the business world it is essential. Many work at home business owners shudder at the thought of writing a marketing plan because they have never had the experience of doing one.

Let's break down the steps for to create a marketing plan.

Creating a marketing plan is a process of answering questions step by step and building a customer profile, then marketing to them. It is not so difficult once you get the answers:

1. What finance have you got available for marketing?

2. Who is your target market for your product or service? Age, sex, and other data to distinguish your customer.

3. How far afield do you need to market your product to get the sales you require?

4. How can you reach your target market?

5. How does your competion reach your target market?

6. Is there marketing that you can do effectively and at a budget?

7. Do you think that you have the skills to do your own marketing or will you need some help from a professional?

8. If the cost of using a professional is out of the question, work out what marketing you feel you can do effectively with your skills?

If you are not too experienced in marketing, just answer these questions in bullet form. When you have got the answers to these questions, then work out your marketing plan for the next 12 months. Write down each month and start planning your marketing for the year.

When planning ahead for 12 months remember to have a good hard look at how economic circumstances like Easter, Christmas, school holidays and such like will affect your product sales. It could have a good affect on sales or it could slow down sales at certain times of the year.

Allocating your funds

Once you have each month of the year worked out you then can consider how to allocate funds for each month and then for each campaign that you intend to run.

Keep in mind that if for example, you have a boom sales time for Christmas you will need to start your advertising in early October. Starting in December would not be the time to start a campaign. The idea of marketing is to plant the seed, reinforce the thought and then get the sale. Sometimes you will get immediate results from your marketing but the essence of marketing is to keep the business name in front of your customers so that when they are ready to buy they will think of you.

It would be great if we could market once and get the sale immediately, but unfortunately it just does not work that way. We would all be millionaires if that was the case!

Detailing the marketing plan

With the full 12 months mapped out it is time to break the next three months down into detail. Work out exactly how you are going to market over the next three months and where you are going to spend your dollar.

If you work in 3 month blocks it gives you a chance to evaluate if the marketing is working and if not, change it for the next three months.

What you have not managed to put together is a marketing 'plan'. If it is not working you simply change the plan. Each and every home based business will need a different plan to suit their circumstances, their product or service and their funds available. Keep it simple, don't complicate it and I am sure you will be able to work your way through it. Whatever you do, you must market because otherwise how are you going to get sales on a continuing basis.