Where to find sample marketing budgets and plans

If you are a small business owner who is trying to get your business off the ground you may be wondering where you can find help with your marketing.A great marketing plan is not only crucial to the success of your business but can be very time consuming and expensive for a small business to put together.Unless you are a multi-layered national corporation with in-house marketing staff you may need to look at other resources to help you develop the marketing plan that is right for you.There are several different ways you can get help for your plan and you either get a template (for you to fill in the specifics of the plan that is right for you) or you can see a full-fledged marketing plan and budget for a business that is similar to yours.No matter what you choose there are several places to find sample marketing budgets and plans.Here are just a few-

• The internet-This may be the best way to find sample marketing budgets and plans.Simply type what you want into your search engine and you will find several different sites that come up.Your biggest challenge may be the number of sites that you have to comb through to find what you need.These sites will have marketing plans and budgets for every business imaginable from Accounting to Women's Shoes.Some of these marketing plans will be free while others will charge a small fee to download.As mentioned above some sites offer only templates that you will fill in with the details while others will give you a completely down marketing plan with accompanying budget.
• Marketing software-Another alternative to a simple web search is to purchase marketing software.There are several different brands out there that will help you develop your own marketing plan and budget.Marketing experts recommend that whatever software you use should possess at least the following features in order to be truly useful in development of your marketing plan and budget. These are :
1. Customizable sample plans. Again unless you are a marketing professional you will want software that has customizable sample plans and budgets that you can then make your own. Having software with these working models can save you both time and money in the development of your marketing plan and budget.
2. Ready-made spreadsheets. Whatever software you purchase should have ready made spreadsheets for you.This will allow you to track both the development and results of your plan.
3. Target market analysis-Whatever software you purchase should also have target market analysis tools in order to help you correctly identify who your target market is and how best to market to them.
4. Sales forecasts-Your marketing software should also have a sales forecasts tool that will help you see how sales will affect your marketing.
5. Break-even analysis, expense budgets and return on investment tables-The marketing software you use should have the financial tools in it that will help you direct your marketing dollar in the most effective way.
6. Results tracking-Your marketing plan software should also be able to help you keep your plan alive by tracking actual sales and making changes as your business changes.
• Books-There are several books on the market that can help you develop your marketing plan and budget.These books often have sample marketing plans and budgets that can be used to formulate a marketing plan specifically for your business.
• Marketing firms-While a consulting firm usually always charges a fee they will sometimes provide sample marketing plans and budgets for their smaller start-up clients.While most of the detail work will have to be done by you this is often an alternative to explore to gain a starting point for your marketing plan and budget.