John Ploetz Bloggin

You feel like everything is teetering on the edge of chaos. It’s not about whether business is flowing in or not. Things just aren’t running smoothly. Nothing is coming together in a defined organized pattern. What do you do? Is your business model broken? Steps you need to take to deal with the situation:

Hoping that more business will help fix a broken business model process won’t make things better. Even if the company is currently busy more business isn’t going to improve your work place it will just make it more chaotic. You need to do an assessment of where the problems are. Some things to look at to make the assessment are at http://sunidee.com/blog/is-my-business-model-broken.html
It may take time to make adjustments. Regroup. Pull out that 3 to 5 year business plan that you have in place, but maybe haven’t looked at in a while. Review the plan and see if you are currently following it. If you don’t have a plan in place now might be a good time to set one up. SCORE has some good business plan templates that can get you started – http://www.score.org/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery
Assess where you are in your business plan process. You need to determine where in the business forest you are located and what direction you need to head. A good article on assessing where you need to improve is at http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclapubs/surviving/thirtymostasked/thirtymostasked
You have a hard decision to make. Can you tweek your existing business model process or do you need to do a full blown re tooling of your business. External and internal factors, as well as monetary limitations will determine what you can and can’t do. Some thoughts on changing your business model – http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/02/25/business-model-obsolete/
Where do I go from here? You need to stay focused going forward. Change up your current priorities to stay on top of your revised business model. Make sure to follow your new business plan as you have adjusted it, this includes looping your management team and employees in on the new changes.

A business model is a template that outlines how your business can run smoothly. Determining when and how to adjust that template is up to you. Don’t be adverse to change, but at the same time only change those parts that need to be fixed.

Next up – What’s this talk about “big data”?

John Ploetz

5 Nov, 2013

John Ploetz Bloggin

How do you use and focus social media for marketing? Do you use it like a shot gun or do you use it with the precision of a surgeon crafting out your plan for its use very carefully. I like to think that it is somewhere in between. The following areas are what I look for in using social media for marketing:

Choose your social media wisely to access your audience. The playing field is continually changing. Younger audiences are moving more towards twitter and tumblr, and away from Facebook. Now the latest info out says Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform. http://marketingland.com/study-instagram-is-the-fastest-growing-social-network-top-brand-engagement-up-350-since-last-year-63602?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=mday&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuq7JZKXonjHpfsX57uUpX6S2lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4FSMtmI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTbLCMbpx37gNXxU%3D
Stay organized in using your social media. Use software like Hootsuite to manage your different social media. But, make sure you individualize your message to get the most out of each type of media you use. Compare the top 10 management tools at http://socialmediatoday.com/daniel-zeevi/1344346/top-10-social-media-management-tools
Make sure your content works for the type of social media you are trying to use. Make sure you are combining the right mix of graphics, media and text. Also, most importantly, make sure you understand what the message is that you are trying to get across to your audience. Some thoughts on choosing the right platform can be found at http://www.vertical-web.com/what-social-media-platforms-are-right-for-your-business/
Always be open to trying out new types of social media. Be aware of the trends and understand the changing terrain of social media. An interesting article on where social media is going in 2014 is at http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013/09/24/the-top-7-social-media-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2014/.
But, probably the best advice is that social media always starts with good content. Go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Macys-Says-Social-Media-Strategy-Begins-with-Good-Content/1010351 for one well known retailer’s view of content strategy.

The bottom line is you really have to do your homework and stay informed. Social media is all about change, proper content, knowing your audience, and knowing where your audience goes to get its information.

Next up – My business model is broken?

John Ploetz

27 Oct, 2013

John Ploetz Bloggin

Why are people afraid to talk about work ethic these days? You still need to tell a young kid fresh out of high school that they need to put in their time, work hard, and pay their dues to get ahead; that easy money doesn’t really come easy and that there is always a catch if it comes too easy. I’m not sure how the nature/nurture principle applies here. But, I do wonder whether you can instill a work ethic into someone who doesn’t currently have it. For me, I ask myself five questions to help me assess whether I am working at maintaining a strong work ethic.

Am I striving for good or great work ethic? This is about my inner energy level to get things done. Am I maintaining self motivation at a high enough level to work hard at what I do, understand what is expected of me, and follow through to completion?
Do I have “attitude” or “can do”? There is a big difference between a person with a negative attitude and a person who positively accepts new tasks. People with a strong work ethic have a positive attitude. They don’t shy away from new tasks, but look at them as a challenge to solve a problem. Never say “no”. If you say no, you have already closed the door on a new opportunity or learning experience.
Do I give extra effort or enough effort? I shouldn’t accept something less than perfection in what I do. While I can’t be perfect, I should strive to go the extra mile in what I’m doing, taking extra effort to make sure a task is done right the first time.
Am I always learning or do I already know enough? I need to maintain my innate curiosity and always want to learn more. New ideas and new information allow my mind to stay in top form and gives me fresh tools to better handle my daily work functions. I should never be afraid to improve my understanding of the world around me.
Do I ask “Why me?” or “Why not me?” I should never say “Why me?” Instead, I should always be ready and prepared to accept any challenge that comes my way. By positively saying, “Why not me?” I embrace the possibility that I’m up for any challenge and can get things done.

What work ethic do you present to those around you? Can you learn to improve upon your current work ethic? Always challenge yourself to improve. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself is my current work ethic as strong as it should be.

Next Up – Focusing Your Social Media