Your Strategic Plan – Your Guiding Light
“FOCUS – Follow one course until successful” Gary Ryan Blair
Your business Strategic Plan is the cornerstone of your business. All businesses must have a clear vision of who they are, who their customers are and most importantly why their company is the right answer. You have to develop a niche for being excellent in what you do and focus on that.
With the challenging economy we face, it is easy to lose your focus, and just try to pursue revenue, any revenue, without regard to whether it was part of your strategic plan or not. Generating revenue is the purpose of every business, but when you try to expand beyond your niche, you end up diluting your focus – quite possibly even tarnishing your reputation. Soon potential clients can’t tell what you really do, as you are trying to do anything and everything.
Adding to this is that fact that even developing a simple marketing and advertising and branding strategy, is not so simple. As shown in our Marketing and Branding White Papers diagram there are many pieces involved in getting your business started and keeping it going. It’s like spinning plates, you have to get them started and then keep them going…you have to generate business via your marketing and business development, while at the same time producing your products and services to the satisfaction of your customers.
In my business I find many areas I would like to be involved in, yet due to the reality of resource constraints, I have found that you can’t be all things to all people. My solution has been to go back to my strategic planning and not purse things that don’t “fit”. One important key to keep in mind for effective business strategic planning is to keep your focus on what your customer needs rather than your own. After all… they aren’t interested in your strategic plan, but their own.
Staying the Course
As many of you know, I have been pursing international business opportunities in Brazil – introducing US AEC products and services to Brazil. A key focus to our corporate strategic plan was based on the reality of the declining US AEC industry economics and the realization that a turnaround is not imminent. Business Development, Marketing and Branding for my company has been my focus, in my strategic plan…my goal is to be the one stop shop for Brazil to get US help in the over $1 trillion dollars of construction required to support the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. I have successfully opened dialog with FIFA, the Brazilian Olympic Committee and key government and private decision-makers, to introduce my clients and their products/services. In my strategic plan, my “customer” is Brazil…thus the goal is to bring Brazil complete integrated solutions that will make their decision and implementation easier versus providing individual pieces that they in turn must integrate into a workable solution that they may not even be aware of.
Complimenting this is that my US clients, also my “customers” need assistance beyond just the introduction of their products/services which are typically one part of the solution, not the whole. Thus our approach to Strategic Partnering.
Pulling it all Together
To meet Brazils requirement for extensive construction in a tight schedule, we represent steel modular construction companies providing an alternative solution to traditional concrete construction, as well as allowing the opportunity to re-purpose this construction after the peak demands of the World Cup and Olympics are concluded. Thousands of athletes and support staff must be housed for the games, but what to do with this construction after the games are concluded?
We have partnered some of our Green/Sustainable product clients, with the steel modular providing a turn-key approach that addresses both the facility needs and LEED initiatives required by FIFA and the Olympic Planning Committee. With Brazil’s PAC2 initiative to create 1 million units of social housing over the next 10 years, we have integrated a client who specializes in urban planning, that in turn can work with our steel modular clients to further support Brazil, effectively helping Brazil with their “PAC 2 Strategic Plan”. Via strategic partnering, we are providing a holistic approach to solution selling…not a piecemealed approach.
Our initial goal of introducing AEC products/services hasn’t changed. We have packaged it to make our offer more appealing by bringing a total solution. Our clients have embraced the strategic partnering concept and understand the benefits associated with a holistic offering by providing complimentary services and products to enhance solution selling.
Our strategic partnering approach provides an enhanced team with experts able to assist in each stage of the international penetration effort including a partner that specializes in import/export logistics with Brazil, a partner that brings extensive experience in Economic Development for incoming international business in Orlando, and an economist that helps to keep us apprised of the economic pulse across the globe providing guidance on our next strategic move. Hence, we support our US customers with expertise all committed to the same single minded goal of developing business internatinally.
Brazil is also looking for new systems and technology if you have a unique building system or product that is cost effective, efficient and proven, contact me. By teaming with DAVNA you will have a huge head start on your competition and be part of a strategic plan designed to win!
