How to create an action plan

If you own or manage a business, you've probably encountered situations where having a plan of action is imperative to your success.Perhaps you've had experiences where something went dreadfully wrong and your action plan saved your company from destruction.This may have made you a believer in setting goals and having a plan.But if you've never had an experience where an action plan prevented your company from disaster, you may not be a true believer of action plans.You should know that they are a great tool to any business and a necessary part of successful management.Maybe you don't have an action plan because you don't know how to create one.If this is the case, you're in luck.This article was designed for people just like you.Keep reading and learn how to create an action plan for your business.

One area of business that is imperative to have a plan of action is marketing.There are several different types of marketing action plans that may be right for your company.They are listed below.

1. Publicity Marketing Plan: In this plan you're going to write down the activities you will try to do to spread the word about you and your business through the media. This includes pitching stories to the press and writing press releases on a consistent basis, as well as any other form of advertisement (posters, bill boards, commercials, etc).
2. Promotional Event Plan: The promotional event plan includes different promotional activities such as, having sales if you're a retailer, or sponsoring contests, awards, or events.
3. Joint Venture Marketing Plan: Your joint venture plan includes things you can do with other businesses to help to promote your business. For instance, if you have a good friend who sells burial plots in cemeteries and headstones, and you own a funeral home, it might be a good idea to team up with your friend to market your services as a package deal.That's a joint venture.
4. Referral Marketing Plan: Every business, especially small businesses should have a referral marketing plan seeing as how it's the most popular way for small businesses to get new customers. Your referral marketing plan will include specific referral programs that you plan to roll out this next year.
5. Internet Marketing Plan: Everything's on the internet these days.So every small business should be on the web and actively engaged in promoting their products and services on the web. If you don't know how, hire a web designer to help you.It will be well worth it.
6. Advertising Plan: Not every small business advertises but most do, so you should plan where you're going to advertise and how much advertising you'll be doing.
7. Customer Marketing Plan - A customer marketing plan helps you think about how you're going to keep in touch with your customers and what types of targeted offers you'll be making to them.

Now, these aren't the only mini-marketing plans you should be thinking about. Your service providers will probably have a networking plan, public speaking marketing plan, or a volunteer charity or association involvement plan.The point is, you can break down your overall action plan into smaller mini-plans that will help you to clarify what you're trying to accomplish through each one.Once you have all the mini-plans established, you can start filling in the holes where you don't have plans of action.This method helps you think in terms of the specific activity (marketing, in this case) and the goals you need to set for yourself and your company.Your plan doesn't need to be perfect, but it does need to motivate you to do something. After all, how good is an action plan if you don't put it to use.