Why Develop a Strategic Marketing Plan for your Tourism Operation?

Strategic Marketing Plans for SME Tourism Operators

If you think that in tourism developing a strategic marketing plan is something only the big, fancy hotel chains do, then think again. You CERTAINLY need one, too! It’ll help you better understand your business, your customers and your strategy for success.

In fact it even more important that you use your smaller and tighter budget in the correct way and in the correct direction. A scattergun approach needs a LOT of money to be effective. With your smaller budget you are going to be looking for needle point accuracy in each of your campaign to guarantee ROI. As little trial and error as possible is definitely the aim. A-B testing with large focus groups is just totally beyond most of our budgets!

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The Art of Business Plans

Business Plan presentation

In my work over the years, I have seen a lot of PowerPoint pitches, but I have also read an awful lot of business plans. The PowerPoint pitches have driven me nuts for sure (see my blog on THAT!), but the business plans explain my recent need for reading glasses.

One of the goals of my articles on this website is to reduce these external factors that are driving me nuts, so this article is all about the art of business plans. [Read more...]

Prepare for Facebook’s Timeline for Business Pages

Excellent article by Ken Mueller on Business to Communtity. Thanks Ken!

I’ve been asked quite a few times at speaking engagements, and by clients, “Will Facebook be adding the Timeline for Business Pages”?. Well, if you haven’t heard, the rumors started leaking last week, and apparentlythe Timeline will be coming to business pages as early as the end of this month. It sounds as if they will begin rolling it out in beta with some larger brands. If you remember, it’s been nearly a year since the last major overhaul to the business pages. [Read more...]

Jumping over the big Start-Up Hurdles

Business Planning

So here you are! You have worked on and completed your own laser-tight analytic business plan and you think you’re all set up to drive forward into a sun-shining future…. And then there always seems to be yet another hurdle to overcome. This is the heart and soul of the young, start-up business; especially if you are trying to push the boundaries and deliver innovation in your industry. [Read more...]

The 3 Legs of a Business Plan to get Financing

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Any quick online search on Google or Twitter will reveal a million pages with the rights and wrongs about writing business plans.

However whether you are writing your own plan or getting some help from a professional business advisor or company you will need to convince on three main areas, or legs to stand on as we call them, if you want to secure financing to take your business idea forward – the market opportunity, the product or service and the management team. [Read more...]