This document provides a template for a personal marketing plan for entrepreneurs. The template outlines sections for vision, marketing summary, target markets, positioning statement, and marketing mix. It also provides guidance for what to include in each section, such as conducting a SWOT analysis in the marketing summary section and identifying core competencies. The document emphasizes using the plan to position oneself within a desired industry and guide networking efforts with various stakeholders in order to achieve one's strategic goals of opening and managing a business.

1. “Marketing The Business Owner:
A Personal Marketing Plan
Template”
Blake Escudier PhD
University of Fredericton

2. If you were hiring a
Professional Manager to run
your company – what
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
would you want this person to
have?

3. If you were applying for a
position to run a small
business (for an owner) – what
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
would you say positions YOU
as the best candidate?

4. Because someone
wants to open and
manage their own
business – should they
think any differently?

5. Personal Marketing Plan
for Nascent Entrepreneur
TEMPLATE
Use this template as your guide to success!

6. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
A. Vision
This section should incorporate two
components:
Strategic Intent
 This is your goal (what you wish to
accomplish with this plan)
Desired Company and Industry
 Identify the name of the company and
the industry you will participate in for
this strategic intent.

7. My Vision is to:
• Position myself within the Pet Food
Industry as someone pet owners and
stakeholders may turn to for answers for
their Dogs & Cats.
• Strategic Intent
 Focus energies on learning who’s who in
the Pet Industry and research healthy
food for Dogs & Cats
• Desired Company and Industry
 Earthwise Pet Supply – “Healthy food
for Dogs & Cats” Franchise.

8. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
B. Marketing Summary
This section should include three elements:
SWOT
Competition
Core competencies

9. We all have knowledge, skills and
abilities – but how do mine relate to
running a business?
Someone who loves pets and has
owned dogs all their life – does not
mean they have the ability to run a
business! Even being a Veterinarian
does not qualify someone to run a
business.

10. SWOT Analysis
Looking at your significant life events and
accomplishments, complete a SWOT
analysis on yourself. Consider your
efficacy and self-efficacy for operating a
business.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

11. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
Competition
 Describe the business environment
situation that you are competing – for
capital, market, political, etc.
Core Competency
 Identify the core competencies you will
need to acquire if you are to be
successful in your business, industry
and personal work/life balance.
Consider both efficacy and self-efficacy.

12. Competition
• Who else is in the business/industry where
you plan on opening? Why hasn’t someone
else done what you plan on doing?
Core Competencies
• Experience running a business (Finance,
Marketing, Negotiating, Managing People)
• Knowledge of Pet Food Industry
• Commitment to making a business
successful

13. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
C. Target Markets
This section should describe the type of
organizations that you want to target.
These are the organizations that will add
value to your business efficacy.
Business Organization Leaders (Who & Why)
Demographic (Reach of Stakeholders)
Industry Networks
In addition identify:
How do you plan on reaching these
targeted people?

14. Get to know who is who in the following






Local business support organizations
Local Private Business for
Contracting/outsourcing business
functions.
Financial Lending People at Banks
Logistics/Transportation Companies
Local Political people
Local Industry Companies
• Vets, Day Care, Groomers, Boarding, Other
Pet Organizations & Associations

15. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
D. Positioning Statement
•
State the outcome you desire to establish in the
minds of your targets.
• Two words or phrases that are related to the skills
and/or knowledge you would like your target
markets to think about you!
Thus, what attitudes and mindset do you want them
to have concerning you? Build upon your SWOT
analysis and core competencies.
• Two words or phrases that identify personal traits
you offer in return for the networking relationship
Think of it this way: after an initial meeting with someone,
if you could secretly listen to the post-interview
conversation, what would you like to hear said about
you?

16. He cares about your Pet
&
knows what is good for
them!
He & his Company Staff will
be there for you & your pet
if/when you need him!

17. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
E. Marketing Mix
The next few slides cover how you will use
your four marketing mix tools (product,
price, place, and promotion) to support
your positioning statement. For each
element of the marketing mix, identify the
feature with a short explanation of why
and how that feature would be a benefit
to your knowledge skills & abilities for
running a business in the Pet Industry.

18. Product
• Remember – YOU are the product!
From your SWOT – what areas do
you need to improve in yourself in
order to reach your objectives?
• Are there areas in your knowledge
skills & abilities you should
emphasize while networking?

19. Price
• Realistically – what will it take
financially? – Not just to open the
franchise – but to maintain your
family lifestyle and allow you to
save for the future? Future growth
or Future retirement?
• How will you manage your money?
Who will manage your money?

20. Place
• Where do you plan on locating?
• Who are the various stakeholders
you need to network with?
• How will you communicate with
the various stakeholders?

21. Promotion
• How will you present yourself to the
various stakeholders?
• What is the message you want to
communicate with people whom you are
trying to learn from?
• Who will you use for future promotions?
How will you use them?

22. Your name
Personal Marketing Plan
F. IMPLEMENTATION
Describe a plan
that states specifically what needs to be done and
when each item will get done. This plan should
include all efforts that still need to occur and
should include your schedule for follow-up with
various stakeholders to keep relationships
current.
• Next Steps for Next Quarter
• Next Steps for Next 6 Months
• Next Steps in 1 Year
• Next Steps in 5 Years