In any given year, about 6 million Americans start new business ventures. There are no hard numbers on how many of these efforts succeed, but most start-ups fail to undertake one critical venture: a business plan. Some entrepreneurs consider business plans to be an academic exercise, while others are simply “striking while the iron is hot.” Businesses can operate very successfully without business plans, but they can also founder quickly without the roadmap a business plan can provide.
There are many reasons to consider writing a business plan. If nothing else, it helps a business owner to create a vision for his or her business. Among the elements of a business plan – market opportunities, experience of the owner, and financing – business owners should also consider how they intend to promote their business. Working promotion and marketing into your business plan is one key to success, and having a multi-year marketing plan shows others that you intend to stay in business for the long haul.
The look-and-feel of a business can help make a new business stand out among its competitors and help a new business present a polished image. If you have a new business, but haven’t considered how you intend to identify market opportunities and position your business to meet them, or haven’t decided how to make your business stand out in a crowd, consider adding the services of a professional designer to your marketing plan.
Grantstreet Creative offers an excellent option for businesses to incorporate design services into their overall marketing and promotion plan. Our creative retainer services enable businesses to have the services of a professional designer available anytime, according to the needs and the budget of the business. Having Grantstreet Creative on retainer means that your business can respond immediately to market opportunities, and present a professional image each time you meet a potential new client.
In addition to a wide variety of design services, Grantstreet Creative can also help you develop your business website, mobile applications, letterhead and business cards, brochures and sales kits. We can also help you with web content, white papers, social media exposure on the most popular sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, and we can even your business plan!
Contact our creative director Dave Ramsell for more information about our creative services and how you can put a professional designer to work in your new business venture.
Photo Credit: Yahoo!Yodel, via Flickr
