1. The Art of
Collaborative Thinking
“An Evening of Business Advice
& Strategies”
Milton Mompreneurs®/Milton Area Female Entrepreneurs
The Mohawk Inn & Conference Centre
November 26th, 2012

2. Who we are:
• Started in 1984
• Incorporated Organization
• Not-For-Pro"t
• Membership of 13 unpaid volunteers
• Have had about 800 clients

3. Our Mission
Our goal is to give back to the Greater Toronto Area
business community by making a meaningful
contribution to the success of our clients at nominal
cost to them, by sharing our diverse skill sets and
collective business experience exceeding 350 years.
We serve entrepreneurs, start-ups and small to medium
sized businesses through an active dialogue and written
report focused on the opportunities, challenges and
issues facing your business.

4. What we do:
• Problem Solving
• Sounding Board: Objective Feedback
• Advice, Mentoring and Counseling

5. Why We’re Here Today
& What We Should Talk About
1) Concept Development
2) Target Marketing
3) Branding
4) Sales Promotion

6. Who’s in the Audience?
• Interesting idea stage
• Getting started
• Already started
• Successful: In business 2-3 years

7. Concept Development
All businesses start with an idea!

8. What is the “Need” & the “Why?”
• Want satisfaction
• Want/Need to make money
• Want to make a product
• Want to make a business

9. Developing the Concept
of a Business
• What is the product/service?
• Is the vision simple or complex?
• Who will you sell to?
• Where will you work?
• Will you work alone or with others?
• How will you promote the business?
• What are the "nancial issues?

10. Target Marketing

11. Product/Service Development
• Clarify relative pro"tability
• Is "nancing available
• How unique is it
• Competitive edge
• Strong personal a$nity &
knowledge level

12. Market Potential by
Product/Service
• Are there su$cient markets available
• How are markets trending
• Relative pro"tability per market

13. Target Consumer Analysis
• Demographic "t
• Ethnic "t
• Demographic/ethnic trends
• Product/service “presentation” "t
• Marketing/promotional "ts

14. Competitive Share by
Product/Service
• Analysis of relative market share by
competitor

15. Competitive Analysis Workout
• Analysis of respective strengths/
weaknesses and vulnerabilities by
competitor

16. Competitive Edge Analysis
• Identi"cation and clari"cation of
competitive edge/value proposition/the
“why me”

17. Delivery/Distribution Analysis
How the product/service is delivered to the market,
(current share; trending; competitive positioning; best
"t for me):
• Web/Online retail
• Traditional retail
• Distributors
• Direct sales relative
market share by
competitor

18. Product/Service Prioritization
1) Where competitive edges exist
2) Where does the best relative pro"tability exist
3) Which markets are largest and trending largest
4) Where is the best "t with consumer trends
5) Where availability of required resources
(availability, labour etc.)

19. Finalization of Sales Plan
You now have all that’s required to
develop a powerful and targeted
sales plan:
1. A clear cut competitive edge/value proposition
2. The “right” product/service(s), (pro"table and
competitive)
3. A growing and pro"table target market(s)
4. A clear understanding of your consumer segment
"t(s)
5. Competitor market share by product/service
6. The respective vulnerabilities of these competitors
7. Clarity on best distribution channel "ts

20. Branding

21. What is a Brand?
Your
Promise + Story + Reputation
+
The customer’s expectations and perceptions
=

22. A Brand is ultimately…
how others perceive you!

23. Leading Global Brands
Source: Interbrand, 2012

24. Why is Your Brand Important?
• Brand e%ectiveness attracts customers
• Brand consistency retains customers
• Brands have signi"cant monetary value to
business buyers
• A strong sense of brand identity is a
hallmark of long-lived companies

25. What a Brand is Not:
• A logo or website
• Marketing
• Public Relations
• For large companies only
• Rocket Science

26. Building Your Brand
A brand is best built by
developing and
executing an integrated
approach to consistently
ful"lling the promise at
each customer
touchpoint.

27. VERBAL
VISUAL
EXPERIENTIAL
YOUR
BRAND

28. Customer Touchpoints
VERBAL
VISUAL
EXPERIENTIAL
• Logo
• Text/Font
•
Staffing
• Business Cards
• Blogs
•
Internal
Processes
• Website
• Social Media
•
Customer
Service
• YouTube
• Email Signatures
•
Exper8se
• Packaging
• “Hold” Message
•
Company
Culture
• Brochures

29. The 4 “P’s” of Marketing
Product
Pricing
Placement
Promotion

30. Operationalizing The Brand -
Executing
• “Talking the talk and walking the
walk”
• Identify the most in&uential
touchpoints
- Where are the customers? How do
they buy? Who are they?
• Design reasons why the
customer will believe/expect
that the promise will be kept at
each touchpoint

31. Your Brand
Good or bad, you
have a brand -
it took shape when
you made your "rst
sale.

32. Personal Branding
• A Brand Ambassador
(internal/external)
• Build a reputation as
an expert, “go to”
person
• Live the brand or be
the brand?

33. Resources
KAPUTA, CATHERINE, BREAKTHROUGH BRANDING,
NICHOLAS BREALEY PUBLISHING, 2012
ROSS, MARIA, BRANDING BASICS FOR SMALL
BUSINESS, NORLIGHTS PRESS, 2010
TILL, BRIAN AND HECKLER, DONNA, CREATING
BRANDS PEOPLE LOVE, PEARSON EDUCATION, INC.,
2009

34. Sales Promotion
Inspiration for small businesses in building
awareness and converting it to purchase.

44. It can start with how
you introduce yourself…

45. There are a world of low cost,
high impact ideas to get
yourself known.

51. Thank You!
www.smallbusinessadvisory.com