Wow, time has been flying by here lately. We have been very busy here the last month or so and I just got back from a much needed mini vacation. Don't worry more posts will be coming later this week and I even have an article that will be in the July issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, which has got all of us very excited.

Today’s Internet-savvy consumers look everywhere for essential content. They have no time to waste and deeply resent unwanted advertising messages. They want to make up their own minds based on their own research. In short, our customers don’t want to be sold.
Business owners and marketers are now facing a serious dilemma, because all we know how to do is sell, sell and sell. We have to change our way of thinking. We can no longer expect our web site visitors (potential customers) to give us their most prized possession, their contact information, in exchange for a cheesy newsletter or free offer. Our customers have been tricked, hoodwinked, bamboozled. We now have to earn the right to ask them for permission to give us their contact information.

So how do we earn the right to ask our customers to obtain their information? The answer is simple content, content and more content. We have to work harder to provide relevant and valuable content. We have to be more open and share our wealth of knowledge with them. If we are not willing to share our information, then how can we ask our potential customers to do the same?

Now how do we get the information out to those potential customers?

• Content Rich Websites
• Blogs
• Newsletters
• Print Magazines
• Digital Magazines
• RSS Feeds
• Microsites
• News Release (PREWEB) Sites
• Article Submission (ArticleDashBoard) Sites
• Audio (PodCast) Sites
• Video (Utube) Sites
• Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter) Sites
• Social Bookmarking (Digg) Sits
  

This may look like your basic SEO and in a sense it is. You still continue building links using your keywords. The difference is that the content is now going to benefit the reader as well as your SEO efforts. Remember the goal is enrich and offer valuable hassle free information for your readers. Do not sacrifice content for key word placement. Your business will benefit from you being a content builder then just a link submitter.

If you deliver great stuff, you’ll get permission to capture critical data (name, company and email address), and then connect with your target buyer regularly. Regular interaction with potential customers will enable you to provide the product or service solutions they really need. By caring about your customers’ information needs first, you can count on a growing stream of devoted customers.

We lost More than 45,000 businesses closed their doors for good in 2009 -- including some that survived for longer than a century. See this article for 6 historic companies that vanished.

ShareBuilder just introduced a new program to help small businesses provide affordable 401k plans for their employees. ShareBuilder 401k has automatic pricing discounts that it says will cut administration costs and workers’ fees. Those interested should check out ShareBuilder’s pricing schedule and their press release at sharebuilder401k.com.

Many Americans dream of going into business for themselves. About one million a year actually do it. Unfortunately, for most, the dream will become a nightmare. A survey indicated only 70% of all businesses have a business plan. That same survey showed that having a business plan gives businesses a 90% better chance of succeeding!!!!

Many factors affect business success. Though you can't control all of them, it does help to "capture" a vision of your business on paper. Your business plan will not only focus your efforts, but show others the serious planning you've done to support your dream. It will increase your chances of achieving success.

What is a Business Plan?

A Business Plan is a written document that:

• Focuses your thoughts, ideas, and dreams, transforming them into a documented plan of action.
• Provides a standard format for communicating your plan to others. This is especially important if you want to obtain a loan; it helps ensure that you've covered all the bases.
• Enables you to measure your progress.
• Serves as a guide for where you are going and how you plan to get there.

Remember that your business plan, though written, is not carved in stone. It should change and evolve as you learn more about your business. As you keep strengthening your plan by adding new information, what began as a skeleton will quickly be fleshed out into a useful guide.

What Do I Put In My Business Plan?

Business plans are usually similar in structure, but their details vary depending on the type of business, the size of business, and the stage of the business. To create a basic business plan, you'll need to include the following items:

• A description of the business. You might start with "I want to open a small Italian restaurant that will serve pizza and pasta dishes." As you investigate further, you will add the restaurant's location, hours, menu, and other defining elements.
• Your marketing strategy. This section contains information identifying your potential customers as well as your competitors. It explains why your customers will be yours rather than your competitors', how you'll publicize your business to your potential customers, your pricing strategy versus those of your competitors, and similar topics.
• The financial aspects of your business. This section will discuss what items you need to buy to start, expand or better manage your business, their cost, and how you plan to finance their purchase. It will detail the cost of each item you plan to sell, how much you plan to sell each month, your projected expenses, profit, and loss each month, and any other information you can think of that will affect the economic health of your business.

If you think that sounds like a lot of work, you're right! But if it sounds like too much work, you're still dreaming. A business is a BIG investment in time, money, resources, and relationships. It demands and deserves your total commitment.

How Will Having a Business Plan Help Me?

A well thought out business plan:

• Provides a process for thinking through every aspect of your business. This can keep you from making serious mistakes.

• Helps you understand how much money is needed and when.

• Provides support for achieving financing (banks and others require a business plan before they will grant you a loan).

• Helps you to understand and plan for competition so you can compete successfully.

• Provides you with a road map that you can use to run your business. A solid plan helps you to keep your business under control and guides you when you need to make detours, change directions, or change the speed at which you start and operate your business.