It is surprising how few owners of graphics production businesses actually work from a plan. They know that there will be busy periods and slow periods as there are in any year, but few actually plan beyond scheduling vacations in the down times. Doing otherwise might generate more cash in both up and down cycles.

 

DECIDING WHAT TO DO

Deciding what to do is the most challenging part. Once the game plan is in place, execution is a lot easier. It is more than just thinking about it; it involves pencil and paper, too. 

 

So grab that and let’s work through six steps that will make it all possible:

 

1. Expectations. The funny thing about a target is that if you cannot see it, it is hard to hit. So, the first step is to set a target. A goal—or a series of goals. It is not enough to make the goal “to survive.” Break down the goals into easily identifiable targets that you can measure as you move through the year.

 

Do you know how many people pass through your doors in an average day, week and month? What do you offer? Could you make it a goal to add at least one new source of revenue to your operation in the next year? 

 

2. Full Year. Things change all the time in a business. Trends, colors, staff, budgets. Regardless of the changes that occur, expect them! This you cannot change. You can, however, plan the whole year in advance and make adjustments as needed rather than reacting to things as they occur. Not unlike having a roadmap. Sometimes you must detour.

 

3. Research. I may have mislead you when I suggested you needed pencil and paper. You need that and more—information. You need statistics. You need to know what has happened in the past to guide your thoughts. 

 

What are your heaviest days of the week; busiest months? What types of graphics products sell when? You may think you know these off the top of your head. But, how have you accommodated that information in your staffing plans, marketing budgets and sales initiatives? Link what you know with what you want and your marketing strategies will produce vastly more than if they are left to chance.

 

4. Campaigns. Here we get to details. Once you have an idea of what your goals are, they must be broken down into action steps. These cannot be too detailed. Written well, you could hand a campaign off to an employee for execution with less involvement from you—and you can be doing the groundwork for the following campaign. It is a matter of planning to stay well ahead of what is happening in the present.

 

5. Teamwork. You are not alone. You must have talented people—or often family—working with you or you would not have hired them. Get them involved. You will generate more ideas and get honest feedback from the ideas you have come up with on your own. 

 

This has the dual benefit of getting information into the mix and gaining agreement on the strategies you develop. People will support what they create.

 

6. Measure. Coming up with objectives means nothing if you do not know if you are achieving them. In a business it all gets down to numbers. Numbers tell the truth, whether good news or bad. Do not ignore them. If you are off target, make changes immediately, regardless of the possibly emotionally-based interests of those who work for you.

 

Establishing a marketing plan is not only a good exercise to spur the imagination and grow sales, it serves as a constant measuring stick against which you can determine progress—or lack thereof. Use it as inspiration and an audit. 

 

 

Make Your Life Easier; Use Talent You Already Have Available

 

In steps 4 and 5 of the accompanying article the topics of Campaigns and Teamwork are mentioned. The combination is especially powerful in an inherently creative work environment. Most employees in the digital graphics business are more than mechanics, they are creative. Do not waste the opportunity to use this energy. Here are six short hints for creating a process to do just that:

 

1.  Choose those who are interested in helping with the marketing project and support them. Remember, willingness is even more important than skill. Find a motivated person and teach them what he or she needs to know to help you.

 

2.  Match people and tasks. Make your job—and theirs—easier. Some are technicians; others dreamers. You need both in a marketing program.

 

3.  Define the task clearly. Delegate, not abdicate. If you know what you want to accomplish, make it clear. If you don’t add the definition as an extra step.

 

4.  Monitor progress closely. It is easy to let a misunderstanding get taken too far by those who misread your intentions. Guide carefully—and quickly.

 

5.  Allow for different styles. If you are going to seek help with the campaign, focus on the outcome more that precisely how it gets done. Creativity requires a little latitude in style.

 

6.  Reward the effort. Make sure creative effort is appreciated in whatever way seems appropriate for your organization. Acknowledge the effort and you will get more of it.