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Recession Proof Your Business: Build A Stronger, More Solid Foundation

Pricing and packaging your services are part of the business foundation tools that everyone should check at least yearly. In times of eniment recession, take out all these items again and double check them. Business and Marketing Plans
 Ideal Client Profile, Niche and Target Market Analysis
 Unique Selling Proposition
 Elevator Speeches (7 words, 30, 60 seconds and 2 minutes)
 Monitoring processes (monitor your goals and tasks)
 Pricing Policy
 Marketing Funnel
 Identity: Physical identify and core values
 An updated resume or bio
 Database(s)
 Follow-up process & tools
 For current clients
 For future clients
 For your referral partners
 For family and friends
 Procedures written down; automated, consistent systems
 Hiring/Firing Policy
 A web site that generates income
 Awareness of strengths and weaknesses—both your own and your employees!
 Support: No one really works alone.
 Get help by hiring employees, contractors, or consultants.
 Have your support teams in place, including R & D Team, advisory boards, mentors, coaches, etc.
 Network and attend networking events.

Finally, remember the importance of writing down the elements that are so crucial to your success: Your business and marketing plans, pricing strategy, goals. Have you heard about the survey of Yale’s 1952 graduating class? It revealed that only 3% of the class had written goals. Twenty years later, another survey of the class indicated that the net worth of the 3% of the class that had had written goals now exceeded the net worth of the other 97% of the class! That 3% also had statistically fewer divorces, and an overall better quality of life.

Maria Marsala, founder of Elevating Your Business, and a licensed One Page Business Plan® consultant draws on her Wall Street trading experience and 30-plus years of business success to help business owners nationwide. Her specialty is helping business owners build bigger, better businesses by streamlining the parts of business they choose to ignore—planning, administration, marketing. Maria’s written more than 200 business and Internet articles and has appeared on TV & radio shows on both coasts. Her most recent venture is the CD series “Corporate Secrets for Small Business Success”, a self-coaching system in a box. Visit us at http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com and http://www.BusinessAndMarketingPlan.com