Ray
Kroc, the genius behind McDonald’s, profoundly affected the landscape of
the world of small business when he perfected how to make cheap food
really fast. Many hamburger shops could make a better burger than Ray,
but none could make them more efficiently. What Ray Kroc understood
the principle you need to adopt as a philosophy: the process is the
solution.
Many businesses eventually fail because they don’t understand this import
fundamental principle. In business, everything is a process – sales,
marketing, production, finance, design, innovation, customer service, etc.
Each of these areas necessitates planning and implementation of a systematic
approach. These systemic processes create order which free you from the
stress of playing catch up and being too busy all the time.
The biggest marketing problem small businesses usually face is finding the
time plan and implement a program. Even though marketing is the one area of
business where the greatest return on investment can be realized, business
owners will ignore it in favor of other activities. Successful businesses
recognize that marketing is an integral process that needs regular
attention. When it is ignore, it doesn’t take long to feel the affects.
Be perfectly clear on one fact; marketing is a process and not an
activity. When is the last time you decided to start marketing because
your sales where low? It’s happened to all of us. So often, marketing is a
reaction to circumstances rather than a catalyst of improvement.
Marketing is not a quick fix and seldom works without proper strategic
planning. When a tactical approach is used, you deny the advantages the
process offers. A common mistake is adopting a “Ready! Fire! Aim!”
mentality. The sequence is out of whack and you don’t reap the full
benefits of your efforts, if any.
When you develop a systematic approach to your small business marketing you
are on the road to enjoying predictable outcomes from the dollars you
invest. The process you establish enables you reach the market with
powerful tactics that achieve you strategic goals. Without a process in
place, you will overlook valuable information and opportunities that you
need to adjust your market.
