The 5 Steps to Setting SMART Business Goals

By Darrell Zahorsky, About.comEvery athlete and large corporation have clearly set and articulated goals to attain specific objectives. Yet, in the world of small business, many businesses lack a focused goal. “Get more business” is a typical reply of small business owners when asked of future plans. Any self-respecting CEO would be tossed out of a

shareholder meeting for uttering a vague response.Whether you have a 50-employee company or an empire of one, your business success depends on your ability to set and achieve goals. Put your business on the fast-track by applying the principles of SMART goal setting.

What are Smart Goals?S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the 5 steps of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals. It’s a simple tool used by businesses to go beyond the realm of fuzzy goal-setting into an actionable plan for

results.Specific: Great goals are well-defined and focused. “Obtain 2 new billion dollar corporate clients in the

Boston property insurance market” is more meaningful to mobilize your team than “Get more business.” Ryan Blair, The Goals Guy eloquently states, "Focus creates a powerful force: goal power. The moment you focus on a goal, your goal becomes a magnet, pulling you and your resources toward it. The more focused your energies,

the more power you generate."Measurable: A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or

scorekeeper. Numbers are an essential part of business. Put concrete numbers in your goals to know if you’re on track. A goal white board posted in your office can help as a daily reminder to keep yourself and your

employee focused on the targeted results you want to attain.Attainable: Far too often, small businesses can set goals beyond reach. No one has ever built a billion dollar business overnight. Venture capitalists and angel investors discard countless business plans of companies with outlandish goals. Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. Check with your

industry association to get a handle on realistic growth in your industry to set smart goals.Relevant: Achievable business goals are based on the current conditions and realities of the business climate. You may desire to have your best year in business or increase revenue by 50%, but if a recession is looming and

3 new competitors opened in your market, then your goals aren’t relevant to the realities of the market.Time-Based: Business goals and objectives just don’t get done when there's no time frame tied to the goal-setting process. Whether your business goal is to increase revenue by 20% or find 5 new clients, choose a time-

frame to accomplish your goal.

January 2012

It’s a New Year! Time to set business goals

MountainMountainnewsnews

Sheryl RebiszMountain Broadcasting Group

Cell: (406) 544-2977 Email: sherylr@mtnbdc.com www.moclub.com

Ready for Radio?

By Apryl Duncan, About.comIn your car. At home. At work. We all listen to the radio. Is your ad campaign ready to hit the airwaves? Radio advertising has the potential to reach a lot of people every week. There are over 20 defined radio formats designed to attract a wide variety of demographics. And since people listen to the radio an average of three hours a day, you have the opportunity to make lots of money at a relatively low cost. But you have to make sure you have a suitable product for radio. If your product requires a visual demonstration, then radio's not the best choice for you. Consider a television commercial or print ad. If your product can be conveyed effectively without sight and motion, then radio's the way to go. Your offer has to be simple. Most products require more explanation than a simple :30 or :60 commercial has to offer, so don't confuse the listener with too many details. Radio should be used as a lead-generation mechanism. Give listeners some perks for responding such as free information, a free estimate or a free product sample. That way, they'll be ready when you give out your phone number and other contact information at the end of your commercial. The basic rules of advertising still apply. You need a strong introduction, good offer, solid approach to the benefits of your product and a call to action. And when your radio commercial is ready to go, be sure it hits the air more than the typical 12 to 18 times a week. It's just not enough to get your message out there. Some listeners need to hear your message a couple of times before they respond. This ensures they'll get that chance. Think of how often you use radio...in your home, car and at work. Your customers probably listen to the radio as much or more than you. If you have a hard-hitting, well-written commercial, then radio can be a great addition to your advertising campaign.

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Continues…

Focus on Business

Plant the Seeds! And Grow

Got IRA?Call Jane or Al at Foster & Foster Financial Services

(406) 777-2280

In other words, a seed with the appropriate

purpose structure, when planted in the right type

of land (Media) is what yields the fruit; it was

intended to produce.

MountainMountainnewsnews

The 6 Laws of Small Business Advertising Success

From Darrell Zahorsky, former About.com Guide

Small business advertising is a science and an art. Companies often miss the fundamentals of advertising.

Regardless of the size of your business an understanding of the laws of advertising can reap huge rewards.

My understanding of these fundamental laws came years ago when I had the privilege of working for one of

the all-time advertising success stories; NordicTrack. NordicTrack's advertising was based on flawless

execution of fundamentals.

According to Small Business Administration, 5% of an entrepreneur's gross sales should be budgeted for

advertising. A 5% small business advertising budget can only help if you understand the laws of advertising.

1. Use One Message: A high response rate ad usually conveys a single message. NordicTrack's message

of the "World's Best Aerobic Exerciser" was simple and compelling. Your small business advertising needs

to quickly communicate its core message in 3 seconds or less. If you are fearful and overwhelmed by

technology, which computer book do you buy? "DOS for Dummies" began a best-selling phenomena

because its message was easily understood and to the point.

2. Add Credibility: It has become human nature to distrust advertising. Claims need to be real and credible.

Roy H. Williams, best-selling author of the "Wizard of Ads" says, "Any claim made in your advertising which

your customer does not perceive as the truth is a horrible waste of ad dollars."

NordicTrack added enormous credibility from a University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse research study, ranking

the cross-country ski exerciser first in the areas of weight loss, body fat reduction, and cardiovascular

fitness. Ivory soap's advertising success was attributed to its credible statement that ivory soap is the 99-

44/100% pure.

3. Test Everything: Large businesses have a greater margin to waste capital and resources without testing

advertising. Small businesses do not have the luxury. Use coupons, codes, and specials to measure the

headline, timing, and placement of your ad. Test only one item at a time and one medium. Testing can be as

simple as asking every customer for several weeks how they heard of your business.

4. Be Easy to Contact: Every single brochure, box, email and all company literature should have full

contact information including: website and email address, phone and fax numbers, and company address. It

seems simple but is forgotten by most companies. At NordicTrack, every box a ski machine went into had

full contact information and the "World's Best Aerobic Exerciser" tagline. Be everywhere.

5. Match Ads to Target: Successful business advertising speaks to one target market only. At NordicTrack,

the ads were tailored to each market. An ad in a medical publication preached the cardio-vascular benefits

of cross-country skiing to heart patients. Ads in women's magazines discussed the weight-loss and calorie

burn from cross-country skiing. Focus the message to the target group.

6. Create Curiosity: Successful business advertising does not sell a product or service. NordicTrack's ads

sold the free video. Once a potential customer watched the video, they contacted the company for more

information. The end result, millions of dollars of sales. Create ads that generate interest and make the

customer want more information.

Having a poor response is not the medium's fault. Often the problem is the message. Small business

advertising is not a quick fix solution to marketing your company. It takes planning, testing and constant

exposure to have an impact on your small business. Done correctly, small business advertising can be a

winning strategy.