Planning in business is essential to success. When a business has a planning process and a plan to follow, leaders are better equipped to prepare for the future. A business plan creates a focus for the company, united employees toward common goals. When everyone works together, it’s easier to manage time and resources, to position the company for growth.

Planning also prepares you to deal with unforeseen scenarios, to the best of your ability. When a company has a plan in place, management is better equipped to handle uncertainty. With proper planning and preparation, a company is better equipped to be able to “pivot”, so that it can stay afloat and succeed in difficult times.

One of the most important types of planning for a business is its marketing plan.

Marketing is the process of getting potential clients or customers interested in your products and services. The keyword in this definition is “process”. Marketing involves researching, promoting, selling, and distributing your products and services. Marketing encompasses all of the strategies that help a company, brand or individual achieve their objectives. This discipline centers on the study of market and consumer behaviors. It analyzes the commercial management of companies and how they attract, acquire and retain customers by satisfying their wants and needs and instilling brand loyalty.

Learn more about how to plan effectively and efficiently with Relationship Marketing in my Physicians Cookbook.