Depending on your goals and whether you plan on securing investment capital, Business Plans don’t have to be complicated. Here’s a 1 page plan template that will get you started and is a quick summary sheet for many larger plans.
Brand Platform Template
Some believe that Brand Development is just for Marketing! We believe your brand is the essence, the soul of a company and without it — it’s like living without air or ground to walk on!
Your Brand = Your Vision + Your Purpose! We believe the most successful companies have a clear vision and purpose – one that is strongly held by employees and easily understood by customers. The stronger your brand is expressed internally and externally, the more energy and enthusiasm your team will feel, and the more customers will be attracted to your brand.
This template can quickly clarify and define your WHY? (reason for being) and serve as the foundation of EVERYTHING you do! The best scenario is to collaborate with your management team or company leaders, get buy in on all levels, and express the brand in all areas of the company including: Strategy, Values, HR/Org Development, Operations, Customer UX, Communications, and Marketing Outreach. A brand that is formed in collaboration with a management team generally has a stronger expression throughout the organization, sets the mark for attracting the ‘right’ employees, and has comes across more authentic to customers.
If you need help facilitating your team, ideas for internal applications, or turning your brand into a rockin’ customer acquisition campaign, give us a call!
Good Luck!
12 Essential Elements for Business Development
Starting a new business can be thrilling and daunting at the same time – adrenaline fueled late nights, long hours, and multiple high priorities needing your attention at once. The following 12 essentials framework can help you organize your business development and address the essentials to help you AND your business thrive.
The 12 elements are divided into four distinct optimization categories:
1. Foundation
2. Operation
3. Positioning
4. Growth
We know from experience, that weaknesses in any one of these can ruin an otherwise great company. We know also that companies who excel in each of the 12 elements rise to the top. It’s not revolutionary, and it’s not rocket science — It’s just good, practical business sense.
Let us know if you need any help jumpstarting any of these areas or an extra push to hurdle a roadblock to success. We are happy to help!
Media Kit Essentials
You don't have to be a media relations expert to get press, you just have to be prepared.
The media kit's job is to provider journalists with all the important information to properly report on your story after you've successfully captured their attention.
The following tool kit to your do-it-yourself media kit solution. The good news is, this kit has multiple uses and can be a valuable asset as a start up.
First, go to FLAX or an stationery supply store and buy nice folders. Print out your name/logo on nice paper, glue it on the front and bam!…You have a Press Kit Folder. Most of what you distribute will be digital, however these are nice to hand out when meeting with a journalist or other stakeholder in person.
Media Kit in 4 Easy Steps:
1) Company Fact Sheet:
2) Media Advisory
A media advisory is a simple, straight forward, just the facts version of a press release. It is a one-pager outlining the major points an editor or journalist needs to know about your business with background information on your company and it's founders. Be sure to clearly articulate the problem your company is solving and a strong position why your company has a unique handle on solving it. Bonus points if you tie this into the founder's passion or background. Highlight distinct features of your product, why they are distinct from competition and why we all can't live without your company and it's service offerings. Include insights on the larger industry landscape that paves the way for your solution, indicate milestones achieved to date and developments you have on the horizon. Include any specific dates or product launch timing that is appropriate.
3) Founders Bios and Photos
We know it's not your favorite thing, but now it the time to invest in a photo session –get founder headshots plus team leaders shots in action. While journalist won't be interested in publishing them, your bios and photos provide needed context and helps them frame up what makes your team valuable. Sometimes a founder story, founding team story can be more compelling than the product and can have equal impact on a reader's interest in the company or product.
4) Logos and Product Images
Important to include your company logo(s) and product photos in action. Images should be feature with variable backgrounds and orientations to provide publication options on featuring your images and increasing your footprint of coverage. Product photos should show features and user experience since ultimately getting coverage is about acquiring customers. You are providing convenience to the publication, yet ultimately speaking directly to the reader and potential customer.
Final Suggestions….
The easier you make a journalist life, by being organized, informed, available and responsive — the better your chances for coverage. Provide your images and this entire media kit up front in digital form (print if requested) so they have all they need to pull together a great story.
Good Luck! and let us know if you have questions or need help!