BENEFITS and FEATURES of your Lawn Display Business
Make sure your website & marketing materials contain Benefits more than Features. What is the difference between benefits and features? Features are a description of your product-- (ie) 5-6 ft. colorful Yard Signs, Personalized message sign, 30-40 pink flamingos, many critters or props from which to choose.
Benefits would be-- what is the benefit to your customer in using your business? (ie) "Make a friend happy with a unique early morning surprise", "Let the whole neighborhood know of your Graduate's Big Day!”,“Surprise a new Mom with a Stork in the Yard” Announce the New Baby” “Celebrate that BIG birthday with a Yard Card”
People are more interested in the benefit to them & the recipient than a long description of your product. In the Celebration Lawn Greetings business, it is all about recognizing people!
"A simple act of kindness has a beauty of it’s own".
Hope your summer is going well!
Marty Miller www.lawnexpressions.com/ www.yardcarddirectory.com/
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Preparing a BUSINESS PLAN
BUSINESS PLAN:
Do YOU have a Business Plan? Although there is SO much on this issue, I am taking quotes from a seminar I attended several years ago given by Courtney Price, Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Creativity at Metro College in Denver, CO.
Entrepreneurs frequently delay writing business plans because they are uncertain how to write and prepare the planning documents essential to a successful venture.
A business plan forces you to consider every facet of your proposed business and places funding decisions on paper where they can be evaluated and considered by all involved.
The outline should include: summary and executive overview; concept; management and organization; product/service; production plan; competition; pricing; marketing plan; financial plan; operating and control system; schedule; growth plan and a contingency plan.
The Best news about developing and writing your own business plan: once you have been through the process, additional plans take half of the time to write and you discover you lave learned valuable planning skills that will be critical to your success.
*******
From Marty: I considered doing a business plan as a daunting project for my Corporation & my d/b/a "Lawn Expressions YardCard Business", but I did add things to my business as I went through the process of preparing the Business Plan and found it fun and enlightening. My Business Plan was simple and was only 5 typed pages long, but was acceptable to get a "Line of Credit". If you plan to get Financial help at any time during your business, you WILL need a business plan.
Reference Book : "How to Write a Business Plan" by Mike McKeever.
I am sure there is an updated version.
Please leave a comment if this has helped you.
Sincerely,
Marty Miller http://www.lawnexpressions.com/ http://www.yardcarddirectory.com/
Do YOU have a Business Plan? Although there is SO much on this issue, I am taking quotes from a seminar I attended several years ago given by Courtney Price, Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Creativity at Metro College in Denver, CO.
Entrepreneurs frequently delay writing business plans because they are uncertain how to write and prepare the planning documents essential to a successful venture.
A business plan forces you to consider every facet of your proposed business and places funding decisions on paper where they can be evaluated and considered by all involved.
The outline should include: summary and executive overview; concept; management and organization; product/service; production plan; competition; pricing; marketing plan; financial plan; operating and control system; schedule; growth plan and a contingency plan.
The Best news about developing and writing your own business plan: once you have been through the process, additional plans take half of the time to write and you discover you lave learned valuable planning skills that will be critical to your success.
*******
From Marty: I considered doing a business plan as a daunting project for my Corporation & my d/b/a "Lawn Expressions YardCard Business", but I did add things to my business as I went through the process of preparing the Business Plan and found it fun and enlightening. My Business Plan was simple and was only 5 typed pages long, but was acceptable to get a "Line of Credit". If you plan to get Financial help at any time during your business, you WILL need a business plan.
Reference Book : "How to Write a Business Plan" by Mike McKeever.
I am sure there is an updated version.
Please leave a comment if this has helped you.
Sincerely,
Marty Miller http://www.lawnexpressions.com/ http://www.yardcarddirectory.com/
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