SCORE Small Business Blog

Marketing and Business Assessment

To help increase your leverage both personal and professionally, do a quick self-assessment of where you are by viewing the listing below.

First:

Create an informal business plan, around one to three pages each, as a blue print for your company.

Second:

Focus on marketing business basics:

1. Exercise A Professional Phone & Email Presence
- Let Your Smile Radiate Through The Phone
- Return Calls & Emails Within 24 Hours
-  Develop A Brief Company Identity On Your Vm
-  Use Proper Grammar, Especially On Emails

2. Exercise Professional Work Ethics
- Be The Employer, Not The Employee

3. Customer Service
- Service Your Customer – Internally & Externally
- Not Only Listen, But Hear Your Customers’ Needs

4. Networking
- Build Relationships
- Create Partnerships

5. Word of Mouth  Travels Fast And Far

6. Create Your Unique Brand
- Collateral Materials
- Online Presence
- External Presence – You

7. Grassroots Mix Media
- Article Write Ups
- Interviews
- Get Adequate Attention For Your Company
- Courtesy Efforts – Thank you, Birthday and Sympathy Cards;  
- Emails and Friendly Phone Calls

Third:

Here’s some suggested reading materials to help you further your business, relationships and marketing efforts. 

• Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson, M.D.
• The Starbucks Experience (Principles For Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary) Joseph A. Michelli
• Reposition Yourself (Living Life Without Limits) T.D. Jakes
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Your image speaks volumes for you! How did you rate? After your self-assessment determine what is missing and what needs to be improved.