A New Year is Days Away: Is Your 2012 Business Plan Ready for Launch?

If you’ve followed a business plan this year, it’s time to analyze what has worked and what may need to be done differently next year. If you’re new to business planning, now is definitely the time to get started for next year. It’s time to set new goals, and it’s time to plan out what you’ll do each month in order to keep on pace with the goals you’ve defined. In the coming days I’ll share with you tips and ideas you can put to work in your business during the next year. Stay tuned to updates by becoming a fan on Facebook and subscriber to the Stagedhomes.com blog. Here’s my first tip: Conduct a SWOT and Gap analysis A SWOT analysis will help you take an overall snapshot of your business to assess your internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats in the marketplace. Next, it’s time to put together a gap analysis. A gap analysis is essentially a comparison between your current strengths and weaknesses and once you’ve assessed which areas that may not need improvement and those that do it’s time to write a summary of what you intend to do in the following year to build on your success. Example: Social media marketing is becoming increasingly important as a communications vehicle between real estate agents and their spheres of influence. As an ASP^® you want to be an important connection in their social networks. But, you may not be familiar with the available platforms, and even more so how to effectively use them in your relationship-building efforts. By identifying the skills you need and the fact that you aren’t very familiar with social media you’ll recognize the need – through a gap analysis – to educate yourself in order to effectively engage with your connections online, and to build your own online social media presence. Your action may include taking classes and attend hands-on workshops on the subject of social media marketing. I’ve created a worksheet you can use when you develop your own SWOT and gap analysis. Click here to download a copy. Live in Joy, ASP® Stage® with Joy and Enjoy the Wonder and Magic of it all! Barb Barb Schwarz The Creator of Home Staging® CEO StagedHomes.com Founder/Chairwoman, The International Association of Home Staging Professionals