We were fortunate to be able to support our client with quick response and resources, being on the ground two weeks after to help assess utility systems for damage.  This started the long process of recovery and restoration that continues today.  It also started a long process of full-time, intensive training on disaster recovery activities and funding, as well as many lessons learned on how to better respond.  We were involved with numerous recovery efforts from sewer, water, drainage and roads to safe house construction and years of debris removal.

Coming out on the other end nearly seven years later, we look back on the experiences we gained during this period and are awed by the far-reaching effects that this one event has had on so many people.  As Trigon, we continue to provide disaster recovery services to our clients in the south Louisiana area, and help others through with the experience and knowledge gained through this time.  Although we could not have possibly imagined or planned for this new area of expertise, it is with pride that we provide these services to our clients as they continue to progress through their recovery efforts.

The marketplace for books became Amazon, even though readers swore that they preferred going to bookstores. By mastering online selling of books, Amazon expanded into a marketplace for everything else. Today, you can buy groceries, pet food, electronics, clothes, and maybe some books. And you do this because Amazon spent their time thinking about the marketplace from the perspective of their buyers, and they didn’t waste as much time or money worry about marketing.

Apple did the same thing. Is the iPhone an amazing phone? Maybe. But it’s a powerful distribution channel. So is the iPad. So is the Apple App store. Apple has mastered the art of building you stores that you willingly carry around everywhere you go. Was that marketing? Of course not. It was focusing on the marketplace at large.

But those are huge companies. What can you do with that? When I spoke with Katherine Laurienti from the Paisano Sausage Company , she talked to me about how the margins for dried sausage were way better than for fresh sausage, and that by shifting to dried sausage, she could also expand her distribution options, rethink her best buyers, and more. Katherine runs a very small business and yet, she knew instinctively that thinking about her marketplace would be a good way to grow her sales.

MARKETING WORKS WITHIN EXISTING SYSTEMS: THE MARKETPLACE DEFINES THE SYSTEM

I spend a lot of time in hotels. That might be why I’m often thinking up little startup ideas or partnership ideas that would benefit a hotel’s guests. Working on the marketplace is convincing a hotel that a Starbucks kiosk is a great selling point for your venue. For you to work on the marketplace, you can think up ways to sell into that hotel, or you can think up ways to sell into that Starbucks, or you can think about where you can sell that a Starbucks can’t.

There are many other ways to evaluate your efforts. Does it cost you three times as much to ship orders as it does to sell in store? Do you get only 1.5 times more online orders than through your local channels? Then you might have to do some simple math on costs versus earnings to see if one of these details offsets the other. Could you do more if you acquired or were acquired by someone? That’s marketplace thinking. Can some new technology threaten your product or service? I was thinking about this the other day when my little tiny town ice cream place swiped my debit card through her Square app on her iPad. I realized just how small Square is as a company, and yet how pervasive they’re getting, and fast. If you served the credit card machine marketplace, wouldn’t you be feeling like your days are numbered?

If you work on understanding the larger marketplace and the potential for your products and services, you won’t have to focus as tightly on marketing itself. Instead, you can build the best opportunities for your product to exist by working to influence (or create) the marketplaces where you know your product will thrive.

What do you think?
Chris Brogan is President of Human Business Works, a strategic advisory company that helps mid- and larger-sized business build out their customer acquisition and content marketing efforts around the human digital channel. He lives in northern Massachusetts.

Elements of a business plan
There is a basic format that will help you create a logical plan that will cover the essential elements you need to include in your business plan. They are the following:
•    Cover Page
•    Executive Summary
•    Business Description
•    Market Analysis
•    Marketing Plan
•    Operations Plan
•    The Management Team
•    Intellectual Property Strategy
•    Revenue Models/Cash Flow Projections

Starting your plan
It can be very hard starting a business if you don’t know whether there is really a market opportunity. The marketing analysis and marketing plan sections of a business plan are one of the hardest sections, and you should tackle these first. Why? If only a few folks are interested in buying what you are selling, you might need to rethink your idea.  There are many hobbyists out there who think they are running businesses; don’t be one of them. Make sure you understand what going on in your industry.  Then define who you are, your niche, your target client, and your secret sauce to get your marketing plan together. All the other sections will be much easier once you carefully define what business you are in.

Start with basic research
How big is your industry? How many businesses currently do what you want to do or something similar? How close are they to your geographical location? Do a Google search for your city and industry such as “Houston and florists” to see your online and offline competition. If you are an internet based business, figure out what your keywords are, using tools such as Wordtracker.com or Overture.com.  Then do a Google search to see how many potential competitors you have world-wide.  Once you identify three to five competitors; check their websites for pricing information. Be sure to check their social media footprints and try to track where they advertise and how they reach their customers. At this point, you are testing whether your idea is viable and whether you have a competitive edge that will separate you from the crowd. Identifying competitors is a good thing that means there is a buying customer out there. You also need to figure out if there are enough customers to keep your company running over the long-term. This basic research is the look-before-you leap approach to going into business. A little time spent up front, making sure there is a paying customer, will save a lot of grief later.

Money Management
A new enterprise can be a sinkhole for money if you haven’t worked out a budget. Many businesses are surprised by how underfunded they are and that they do not have enough money to keep things going. It is so important to have resources to cover the basics – utilities, insurance, advertising, equipment, inventory, licenses, professional services (accounting & legal), etc., so you can concentrate on building your customer base. Common budget busters include unplanned expenses like rework, equipment breakdowns, hiring extra workers when you underestimate a job and rush fees if you run out of inventory. In these cases, if these events are not managed within the framework of your business plan, they may lead to failure down the line. Always build in some contingency for a best case/worst case outcome for your business budget. Spend the time up front on learning to create a current and projected budget. Know where every dollar comes from and where it goes. For more detail and insight, read my book “Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months,” and pay special attention to Chapter 10 – Every Business Needs A Plan.

Creating a business plan not only gives you a tangible roadmap, but also allows you to share your dream with potential lenders and investors.  The primary lesson from creating one is that it forces you to take a critical look at your dream. Hopefully, your answer to “How am I going to do this?” gives you foresight to turn your entrepreneurial dream into a big success.

Melinda F. Emerson, known as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

As a small business owner, that is another task, along with marketing, that I try to avoid.  This time it’s different.  I’m actually looking forward to making sales calls.  The difference is Deluxe.  Now when I make sales calls, I feel prepared.  I have a beautiful business card with a new logo, all designed by Deluxe.  Previously I had a business card that I printed on my computer.  I always noticed the ragged edges where the perforations were. I will soon have a four color tri-fold brochure to hand to potential customers.  Previously I had a price list printed on my computer.

I know that my sausage is fabulous.  Now I have the marketing tools that reflect the quality of the product I make. Having the best quality marketing tools gives you confidence.  I feel like Cinderella.  I’m ready to go find my prince (that one really big customer).

Thanks Deluxe for providing the glass slipper.

I did not meet my goal of making one new contact at this event.

However, many staff members of a local client with whom I have worked with for over 15 years (with a former employer) were in attendance.  Although we have not worked together in the three years since our new engineering firm was formed, my partners and I have maintained our relationships with many of these folks. We had developed strong relationships working closely with these individuals, working on the same program and focusing on the same goals; facing the same challenges and celebrating the same successes.  In many cases, our relationships are closer to those of workplace colleagues rather than client/consultant.

I enjoyed catching up with these colleagues that afternoon, both on a professional and personal basis.  It was great to learn from one of his child’s new interest in the clarinet, another’s new-found passion for coffee, and the long-awaited completion of an astronomy observatory for another.  Just like old friends, it was easy to pick up where we had left off.

My specific goal was not met, but the surprise gem that day was spending precious time with the client staff colleagues that I been fortunate work closely with for many years.  Our continued relationships will be a benefit as Trigon embarks on our first project with this client, recently awarded, and starting next month.

We have totally redesigned the website, making it more professional and easier to navigate.  Our logo has been refreshed and we are in the process of re-energizing our social media reach.  I know that in today’s day and age, social media is a must have. But for a small business owner with a fast growing business who is juggling a full time law enforcement career, there just aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week.  Trust me, I’ve asked for more of both and nobody has come through yet.  So the fact that I have Deluxe and Project REV to turn to as my several extra sets of hands when it comes to things like keeping up with social media, writing copy for sites, marketing materials, etc… has certainly been a blessing.

new Blueline Security Services logo

old Blueline Security Services logo

There were sets for each of the segments taped, and teams of people focused on the various components needed to successfully record, edit and broadcast the show.  There were teams focused on the animal segment, the kitchen/food segment, the cooking segment, the floral arrangement segment, the craft segment, plus other teams honed in on the technical aspects of the production.  And this doesn’t even include the pre-show audience prep!  Dozens of people (and likely more that I didn’t see) were all focused on specific portions of the show, while coordinating with the other teams, to complete the taping.  In other words, a well-orchestrated management effort focused on a single overall goal.  In the end, the result was a well-produced segment which aired later that day—success!

A primary focus of Trigon Associates is program management, which is the overall management of a team in the delivery of a capital improvement program (ie, a collection of projects) for a client. A program management effort is comprised of numerous teams focused on the various components needed for delivery of the program—the planning component, the schedule and budget component, the design and engineering component, the construction component, the outreach and reporting component, and more. Dozens of people all focused on specific portions of the program effort, while coordinating with the other teams, to successfully deliver the program for the client.

While the industries are very different, the ideas are the same.  Much like the taping of the Martha Stewart Show, a program management effort is a well-orchestrated management focused on a single overall goal.

ProjectRev participant, Kathy Laurienti, known as the “Sausage Queen,” was thrust into the President role at her company after the sudden death of her husband and the company’s founder in May 2011.  She describes the process of reinventing her company, North Denver Sausage: “The hardest thing about moving the company in a new direction was finding the time.” Kathy says her day typically starts with making sausage every morning at 6:00 am. After getting the orders out for the day, she then handles purchasing, payroll, billing, etc., so finding the time to think strategically about how to move the company forward was a daily challenge. “At the same time I was trying to change direction, my husband’s health was deteriorating.  I was only working part time so that I could spend time with him, said Laurienti.”

How do you know it’s time for a change?

You have a nagging feeling inside that something has to change. You know when your business model isn’t working anymore. Then you need to answer the question, “What’s next for me and my business?” You remember how it felt to have a vision for your business, but you have no idea anymore. Technology may have changed. Your niche customer may have moved away. Maybe you just don’t love running your business anymore. You need a business model that mirrors those changes. You need to put the pieces together, but in an entirely different way than your current business model.

“I had known for quite some time that our business had to move in a new direction.  Our customer base of small independent businesses was shrinking.  About 2 years ago I started experimenting with dry sausage”, said Laurienti.  Her husband had tried this over 30 years ago, but the cost of regulations was too high and their fresh sausage business was thriving, so they decided not to pursue it at that time.

North Denver Sausage takes pride in making the finest Italian sausages the old-fashioned way, and now they have a new dried Artisan Italian sausage product. Kathy balances creating new recipes and products while still maintaining the day-to-day operations. Rebuilding the family company in today’s tough economy means everything to her.  Kathy says the opportunity to receive mentoring and marketing support from Deluxe Corporation has made such a big difference in her business. “ProjectRev came at just the right time.  I had just finished the R & D phase for my dry sausage and definitely needed help with the marketing.   I honestly feel that John is watching over me and helping me to grow the business that he started almost 40 years ago.”

The steps involved with reinventing your business

First, you know or sense something needs to change. Next comes the confusion phase.  You feel lost; the solution won’t come to you. This phase is especially tough, because you’re the one that usually has all the answers.  In the next phase, you redefine your life plan and find clarity in your goals. You need to have clarity about your business vision as well as your motivation for reinventing your business. Once you figure out what’s most important, start exploring. Talk to your customers and friends and consider hiring a business coach or joining a peer-to-peer mentoring group. Read books. One of my favorite books on reinvention is Innovate Like Edison by Michael Gelb and Sarah Caldicott. Look at other people’s business models to see what might work for you. In the final phases, you map where you’re going in a new business plan. Then you implement it and track milestones to see how it’s going.

Change can be overwhelming, but it’s a lot like working out after a long time of inactivity. You are really sore at first, but once you start seeing results–you’ll wonder what took you so long to start moving in this direction.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. 

Project REV just keeps broadening my horizons.

At the behest of my fabulous marketing mentor Erika Kerekes,  I have been joining local and national organizations.  Erika insisted that I enter my sausage in a competition so I joined the Colorado Association of Meat Processors.  Their annual convention was March 9-11.

I took my North Denverdry sausage and a product, Soppresseta, that is still in development.  Both products should have been in the Specialty Products category; however, only one product per company per category is allowed.