Marketing plan templateand guide.doc

8/14/2019 Marketing plan templateand guide.doc

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business.gov.auMarketing plan template and guide

A good marketing plan helps you identify your customers and competitors and

develop a strategy to make your business stand out. The business.gov.au Marketing

Plan template steps you through the process of creating a solid, well-structured plan

tailored to your business.

New !reate your marketing plan on your iPad by downloading our free

MarketMy"i# iPad App. $earch %MarketMy"i#& in the App $tore now

!opies of the latest version of this template and guide can be downloaded from

www.business.gov.au'plans.

(f you need further information, assistance or referral about a small business issue,please contact the $mall "usiness $upport )ine on 1800 77 7275.
http://www.business.gov.au/planshttp://www.business.gov.au/plans


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business.gov.au Marketing plan guide

How to use this template

"efore you complete this marketing plan template and start using it, consider thefollowing*

1. Do your research.+ou will need to make uite a few decisions about yourbusiness including structure, marketing strategies and finances before youcan complete the template. "y having the right information to hand you alsocan be more accurate in your forecasts and analysis.

2. Determine who the plan is for.oes it have more than one purpose /illit be used internally or will third parties be involved eciding the purpose ofthe plan can help you target your answers. (f third parties are involved, findout what are they interested in.

. Do not attempt to fill in the template from start to finish.0irst decidewhich sections are relevant for your business and set aside the sections that

don&t apply. +ou can always go back to the other sections later.

!. "se the #italicised text$. The italicised te1t is there to help guide you byproviding some more detailed uestions you may like to answer whenpreparing your response. Please note:(f a uestion does not apply to yourcircumstances it can be ignored.

5. "se the marketing plan guide. The marketing plan guide below containsgeneral advice on marketing planning and a complete overview with detailson each uestion asked in the marketing plan template.

%. &et some help.(f you aren&t confident in completing the plan yourself, you

can enlist the help of a professional 2i.e. 3nterprise !onnect !entre, "usiness3nterprise !entre, business adviser or accountant4 to look through your planand provide you with advice.

7. 'rite your summary last.5se as few words as possible. +ou want to getto the point but not overlook important facts. This is your opportunity to sell

yourself. "ut don&t overdo it. +ou want third parties to uickly read yourplan, find it realistic and be motivated by what they read.

8. (e)iew. (e)iew. (e)iew.+our marketing plan is there to make a goodimpression. 3rrors will only detract from your professional image. $o ask anumber of impartial people to proofread your final plan.

*. +rint."efore you print a copy of your completed marketing plan, ensure youdelete the first section containing the guide as well as the 6italicised text7. Toprint a copy, select the Printer icon on the toolbar, or select 0ile then Print on

the main menu.

$can to watch our marketing plan video*

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Marketing Plan 9uide

Marketing planning

A marketing plan assists you to integrate your total marketing effort. (t ensures asystematic approach to developing products and services to meet and satisfy your

customers& needs.

/hen you:re writing a marketing plan you need to be clear about your ob;ectives

and how you:ll achieve them. A good marketing plan sets clear, realistic andmeasurable ob;ectives, includes deadlines, provides a budget and allocatesresponsibilities. A plan can consist of these elements*

analysis of your current market

your business ob;ectives

key strategies

steps to achieving your ob;ectives proposed budget

timing.


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Advice ? support

There are a number of government services available to help you plan, start or grow

your business. These services can provide general advice, workshops, seminars andnetworking events, and can even match you with a mentor or business coach.

,ttending -usiness e)ents

$mall business workshops and seminars are run regularly in most areas of Australia,and deal with issues such as planning, marketing, innovation, employing staff ande1porting.

+ou may also find it useful to attend networking events to help e1pand yourbusiness. "y developing networks, you can keep up to date on industry and local

information, promote your business through new contacts and learn key skills fromother businesses.

aking on a mentor or -usiness coachParticipating in mentoring or coaching programs can help you develop a greaterunderstanding of business processes and practices, and euip you with the skills

you need to grow and improve your business.

What to do...

!ontact your nearest "usiness 3nterprise !entre 2"3!4 for assistance withyour planning process.

!heck if your local "3! or state business agency hosts a marketing workshopnear you.

!ontact an 3nterprise !onnect centre for help with planning, growing,skills development, competitiveness and productivity.

$earch for networking, mentoring or training events and seminars on thebusiness.gov.au 3vents calendar.

!ontact a business adviser, accountant or solicitor for advice.

Page @
http://www.becaustralia.org.au/http://www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au/http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/Business+Topics/Fair+trading/Fair+trading+laws+in+your+state+or+territory.htmhttp://www.becaustralia.org.au/http://www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au/http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/Business+Topics/Fair+trading/Fair+trading+laws+in+your+state+or+territory.htm


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Template overview

This template overview provides details on each uestion asked throughout the marketing plan template as well as links to furtherinformation. /hen you start answering a uestion in your marketing plan, you can refer to the relevant uestion below to help guide youranswer.

itle page

/uestion planation More information

nsert your -usiness logo Adding a logo helps give your business a more professional image.

3our name 3nter the business owner:s name. 3nter multiple names if there aremultiple owners.

3our title The titles of the business owner2s4 listed above, e.g. wner'Manager

4usiness name 3nter your business name as registered in your state'territory. Bisit our


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+roducts9ser)ices /hat products'services are you selling /hat is the anticipated demandfor your products'services These answers should briefly summarise youranswers under the main products'services section.

he :uture

;ision statement The vision statement briefly outlines your future plan for the business. (tshould state clearly what your overall goals for the business are. To keep

it brief you may prefer to use dot points in your summary.

&oals9o-


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he :inances

he finances "riefly outline your sales forecast. =ow much money will you need up-front /here will you obtain these funds /hat portion will you be seekingfrom other sources =ow much of your own money are you contributingtowards the business

+our answers can be uite brief in the summary. They should give thereader a uick idea of your current financial position. /here you are

heading financially and how much you need to get there. +ou can providemore detail in the main 0inances section.

Bisit our =ow do ( manage myfinancespage.

he 4usiness


4usiness o)er)iew

4usiness o)er)iew/ho are the current business owners /hat does the business do'sell/here it is located =ow long has it been operating

=.'.>.. analysis

=.'.>.. analysis ta-le )ist each of your businesses $trengths, /eaknesses, pportunities orThreats 2$./..T4 in the table supplied. 0or e1ample*

=trengths? 2e.g. e1perience in the industry4.

'eakness? 2e.g. location of your business4.

>pportunity?2e.g. new e1port opportunity available4.

hreat?2e.g. new competitor entering the market4.

=.'.>.. acti)ity sheet )ist each weakness'threat, the activities you will undertake toreduce'address each and the date of e1pected completion.

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+roduct9ser)ices

+roduct9ser)ices ta-le )ist each product'service your business currently offers. Provide adescription and unit price 2including 9$T4 amount for each.

Market position /here do your products'services fit in the market Are they high-end,competitive or a low-cost alternative to the products'services offered byyour competitors =ow does this compare to your competitors

"ni@ue selling position =ow will your products'services succeed in the market where others mayhave failed /hat gives your products'services a distinctive edge

,nticipated demand /hat is the anticipated uantity of products'services your customers arelikely to purchase 0or e1ample, how much will an individual customer buyin D months or G8 months

+ricing strategy o you have a particular pricing strategy /hy have you chosen thisstrategy

To help you develop your pricing strategy, you could refer to yourcustomer research, market position, anticipated demand andcosts'e1penses to get an idea.

/hatever strategy you use when setting your price, you will also need toadhere to any relevant fair trading legislation or codes of conduct.

Bisit our 0air trading lawspagefor your state fair trading officecontact details.

;alue to customer =ow do your customers value your products'services Are they anecessity, lu1ury or something in between

&rowth potential /hat is the anticipated percentage growth of the product in the future/hat will drive this growth

To help you determine this growth potential, you could refer to yourregion'industry research to get an idea of any industry'regional growththat could affect your business in a positive way. +ou could also look upany social trends that may have a positive affect on your business.

ownload the $ocial Trends series from the Australian "ureauof $tatistics website.

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=ales9marketing personnel

=ales9marketingpersonnel ta-le

)ist your current staff in the table provided. utline each ;ob title, name ofthe employee in the position and the main responsibilities related to theposition. +ou may also like to attach a copy of their resume to the back ofyour plan.

Bisit our 3mploying peopletopic.

he :uture


;ision statement /hat is your business: vision statement (t should briefly outline yourfuture plan for the business and include your overall goals.

Mission statement /hat is your business: mission statement 2i.e. how will you achieve yourvision4

&oals9o-


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6ustomerdemographics

efine who your target customers are and how they behave. +ou caninclude age, gender, social status, education and attitudes. /hat are theirlifestyles, activities, values, needs, interests or opinions /here are theylocated

ownload the $ocial Trends series from the Australian "ureauof $tatistics website.

Aey customers (dentify your key customers. 2These can be large consumers of yourproducts or individuals whose satisfaction is key to the success of yourbusiness.4 =ow will you target your products'service to them =ow willyou deliver your product'service to them

6ustomer management =ow will you maintain a good relationship with your customers /hattechniues will you use =ow will you keep your customers coming back=ave you introduced customer service standards o you follow anyparticular code of practice

Bisit our !ustomer servicepage.Bisit our !odes of Practicepage.

3our competitors

3our competitors =ow do you rate against your competitors =ow can your businessimprove on what they offer

6ompetitor detailsta-le

)ist at least C competitors in the table. 0or each competitor enter*

6ompetitor? !ompetitor name.

sta-lished date?/hen were they established

=iBe?Number of staff and'or turnover.

Market share C? 3stimated percentage of market share.

;alue to customers? 5niue value to customers. /hy theywould do business with your competitor 0or e1ample*convenience, uality, price or service

=trengths? /hat are your competitor:s main strengths

'eaknesses? /hat are your competitor:s main weaknesses

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Market research /hat statistical research have you completed to help you analyse yourmarket id you use a survey'uestionnaire (f so, you may like to attacha copy of your survey'uestionnaire to the back of this plan.

Bisit our


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Marketing strategy /hat is your overall marketing strategy /hat steps or activities will youundertake to achieve your goals'ob;ectives0or each marketingactivity'milestone*

Marketing acti)ity9milestone? Print advertising, onlineadvertising, mail-out, giveaway, media release, event, website,blog'social media, public relations, branding and artwork, orpublications and catalogues.

+erson responsi-le?/ho is responsible for completing this

task Date of epected completion? /hen do you e1pect to

complete the marketing activity

6ost ? 3stimated cost of activity.

=uccess indicator? /hat indicator' measurement result willneed to be met before this activity is considered a success

Bisit our Marketing ? advertisingpage.

,d)ertising E sales

,d)ertising andpromotional strategyta-le

0or each promotion'advertising*

+lanned promotion9ad)ertising type?/hat is thepromotion'advertising type being used 2e.g. Print mediaadvertising, online advertising, $M$, mail-out, giveaway, mediarelease, social media campaign or event4

+romotional strategy?/hy have you decided to use thispromotion'advertising type =ow and when will you use it /hatis your strategy behind this /ho will upkeep your social mediapresence

pected -usiness impro)ement?=ow do you e1pect it willimprove your business success

6ost ?/hat is the cost of each planned activity

arget date?/hen do you e1pect to complete each activity


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=ocial media strategy /hat do you want to achieve'communicate 2brand awareness, online salesetc4 /hat social media tools do your customers use 2e.g. "logs, Twitter,0acebook etc4 /hat strategies can you use to network and communicateeffectively with these customers /ho will upkeep your social mediapresence o you have internal staff or would you need to engage ane1ternal organisation

=ales strategy /hat sales techniues do you use /hat are your strategies behind thesetechniues =ow is this different'better than your competitors


=ales and distri-ution

channels ta-le0or each channel enter*

6hannel type?/hat channel will you be using 2e.g. $hopfront,internet, direct mail, e1port or wholesale4.

+roducts9ser)ices?)ist all the products'services sold via thischannel.

+ercentage of sales? /hat percentage of overall sales do youe1pect to sell via this channel

Distri-ution strategy?/hy have you decided to use thischannel type =ow and when will you use it /hat is thestrategy behind using this channel type for this particularproduct'service

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he :inancesTo complete the finances portion of this marketing plan, you should rely heavily on your financial statements and projections. Thebusiness.gov.au Business plan template available at www.business.gov.au/businessplan can provide you with a start-up costing, balancesheet profit and loss, cash flow and a break-even analysis template.


+rice /hat price have you determined for your products'services oes thisprice take into account all your costs including personal, start-up,operational, cash flow and working capital =ave you also allocated aprofit margin in your costing /hat price will your target market bear oyour prices take into account any seasonal variation to your suppliers&costs

pected sales /hat are your e1pected sales /hen do you hope to achieve thesefigures Are there seasonal influences

Marketing -udget#3,($ ta-le

"sing the ta-le

The marketing budget table contains a list of suggested marketing items atypical business may use. /hen you double click on the table you can editthese items by removing or adding rows and typing in your own items.


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Monitoring9measurement acti)ities


Monitoring9measurement acti)itiesta-le


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6Business ame7 Marketing Plan 6!"#$7

#INSERT YOUR BUSINESS LOGO$

6!our ame76!our Title7

6Business ame76%ain Business #ddress7

,4?6#B7,6?6#&7

6Business ame7

Marketing Plan

+repared?6'ate prepared7

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Table of !ontents

..................................................................................................CThe "usiness.................................................................................>The 0uture....................................................................................>The Market...................................................................................>

The 0inances.................................................................................>

he 4usiness..........................................................................1"usiness overview.........................................................................G

$./..T. analysis..........................................................................G$./..T. activity sheet...................................................................8Products'services..........................................................................8$ales'marketing personnel..............................................................8

he :uture.............................................................................Bision statement...........................................................................>Mission statement..........................................................................>

9oals'ob;ectives............................................................................>he Market.............................................................................+our customers'clients...................................................................>

+our competitors...........................................................................@Market research ...........................................................................@

Market targets..............................................................................@3nvironmental'industry analysis......................................................@Marketing strategy.........................................................................CAdvertising ? sales........................................................................C

he :inances..........................................................................%Marketing budget 6+3A


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Marketing+lan =ummary

6Please complete this pae last$

6!our marketing summary should be completed last and should be no longer thana page focussing on why your business is going to be successful. !our answersbelow should briefly summarise your more detailed answers provided throughoutthe body of this plan.7

The "usiness

4usiness name?6"nter your business name as registered in your state/territory. (f youhave not registered your business name, add your proposed business name.7

4usiness structure?6)ole trader, partnership, trust, company.7

,4?6$egistered #ustralian Business umber.7

,6? 6$egistered #ustralian &ompany umber, if applicable.7

4usiness location?6%ain business location7

Date esta-lished?6The date you started trading.7

4usiness owners? 6*ist all of the business owners.7

(ele)ant owner eperience? 6Briefly outline your experience and/or years in theindustry and any major achievements/awards.7

+roducts9ser)ices? 6+hat products/services are you selling +hat is the anticipateddemand for your products/services7

The 0uture;ision statement?

6The vision statement briefly outlines your future plan for the business. (t should stateclearly what your overall goals for the business are.7

&oals9o-


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he 4usiness

"usiness overview6+ho are the current business owners +hat products/services does the business provide +here it is located ow long has it beenoperating7

$./..T. analysis6*ist each of your businesses )trengths, +eaknesses, pportunities or Threats ).+..T.0 in the table below. 7

=trengths 'eaknesses

>pportunities hreats

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$./..T. activity sheet6utline how and when you plan to address each of the weaknesses/threats from your ).+..T.analysis above.1

=.'.>.weakness9threat

,cti)ity to address weakness9threat ,cti)itycompletiondate

Products'services

+roduct9=er)ice Description +rice

62roduct/servicename7

6Brief product/service description7 63nit priceincluding 4)T7

Market position?6+here do your products/services fit in the market #re they high-end,competitive or budget ow does this compare to your competitors7

"ni@ue selling position? 6ow will your products/services succeed in the market where othersmay have failed +hat gives your products/services the edge1

,nticipated demand? 6+hat is the anticipated 5uantity of products/services your customersare likely to purchase 6or example, how much will an individual customer buy in 7 months or

89 months7

+ricing strategy? 6'o you have a particular pricing strategy +hy have you chosen thisstrategy7

;alue to customer? 6ow do your customers view your products/services #re they anecessity, luxury or something in between7

&rowth potential? 6+hat is the anticipated percentage growth of the product in the future+hat will drive this growth7

$ales'marketing personnel

Fo- itle ame (esponsi-ilities

6e.g. %arketing/)ales %anager7

6%r &hris Brantley7 6+hat are the main responsibilitiesof this position7

Page 8


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he :uture

Bision statement

6+hat is your business: vision statement (t should briefly outline your future plan for the business and include your overall goals.7

Mission statement

6+hat is your business: mission statement i.e. how will you achieve your vision07

9oals'ob;ectives

6+hat are your short ; long term goals +hat activities will you undertake to meet these goals7

he Market

5niue selling position6ow is your business uni5ue in the market+hat differentiates your product/service from others in the market +hat makes your businessstand out from your competition +hat product gap or service need does it fill for your customers1

+our customers'clients

6ustomer demographics6'efine who your target customers are and how they behave. !ou can include age, gender, social status, education and attitudes. +hat are

their lifestyles, activities, values, needs, interests or opinions +here are they located1

Aey customers6(dentify your key customers. These can be large consumers of your products/services or individuals whose satisfaction is key to the successof your business.0 ow will you target your products/services to them ow will you deliver your products/services to them7

6ustomer management6ow will you maintain a good relationship with your customers +hat techni5ues will you use ow will you keep your customers comingback ave you introduced customer service standards'o you follow any particular code of practice

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+our competitors6ow do you rate against your competitors ow can your business improve on what they offer1

6ompetitor detailse of the market +hat recent trends have emerged in the market +hat growth potential is available and where do you fit inow will the market/customers change when you enter the market +hat external factors will affect your customers7

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Marketing strategy6+hat is you overall marketing strategy+hat steps or activities will you undertake to achieve your goals/objectives1

Marketing acti)ity9milestone +ersonresponsi-le

Date of epectedcompletion

6ost =uccess indicator


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6+hat do you want to achieve/communicate brand awareness, online sales etc0 +hat social media tools do your customers use e.g. Blogs,Twitter, 6acebook etc0 +hat strategies can you use to network and communicate effectively with these customers +ho will upkeep yoursocial media presence A do you have the internal staff or would you need to engage an external organisation 7

=ales strategy6+hat sales techni5ues do you use +hat are your strategies behind these techni5ues ow is this different/better than your competitors7

=ales and distri-ution channels

6hannel type +roducts9ser)ices +ercentage ofsales C

Distri-ution strategy

6e.g. )hopfront,

internet, direct mail,export or wholesale.7


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Marketing budget 6+3A


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Monitoring9measurement acti)ities6$eviewing the impact of your marketing should be a periodic activity. *ist the details of each review in the table below. 7

Marketing acti)ity Date ofre)iew

Monitoring methods (e)iew outcomes


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$upporting documentation

Attached is my supporting documentation in relation to this business plan. The attached

documents include*

6*ist all of your attachments here. These may include resumes, customer

survey/5uestionnaire and/or financial documents.7

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&lossary

,ustralian 4usiness um-er ,4L a single identifying number used when dealing withother businesses and the Ta1 ffice.

,ustralian 6ompany um-er ,6L the number allocated by the Australian $ecuritiesand (nvestments !ommission 2A$(!4 when you register a company under !orporations )aw.

4log Lis a shortened word for /eblog 2see /eblog4.

6hannel L a way of delivering something to its destination, whether it is a message to becommunicated or a physical product to be delivered.

6ontract L a legally enforceable agreement made between two or more parties. A contractmay be a verbal contract or a written contract 2or may be partly verbal and partly written4.

Demographics L the characteristics of a segment of the population, e.g. customers.

Domain nameL a name that identifies an organisation:s address on the internet, either awebsite address 2the domain name follows the :www:4 or an email address 2the domain namefollows the :: symbol in the email address4.

&oods and =er)ices a &=L a broad-based ta1 of GI per cent on the sale of mostgoods and services in Australia.

HighGend usually refers to e1pensive or high uality products'services.

Market positionL refers to the position an organisation, product or service has in themarket, usually in relation to its competition.

Milestone L a goal or ob;ective with a target date.

Mission statement is a statement outlining how an organisation intends on achieving itsvision.

=ocial mediaL a group of technology including "logs, online networks 2e.g. Twitter,0acebook, My$pace, )inked(n4 and online collaboration tools often used to e1pand yournetwork'market reach or collaborate on a large scale.

"ni@ue selling positionL a characteristic of a business or a product'service that sets it apartfrom the competition.

;ision statement L an inspiring statement that e1presses an organisation:s mainambitions'goals.

'e-log L 2also known as a "log4 an individual:s or organisation:s online website displaying areverse-chronological list of entries 2known as posts4. Posts typically include thoughts,observations, promotions, links, images or videos. A /eblog is publically available and allows

readers to comment on posts.

Documents

Marketing plan templateand guide.doc