Business Insider - Business Plan (Executive Summary, Vision, and Mission)

​The Start of The New Year is The Start of A Whole New Journey...

By William Ballard

“Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.” – Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (AFF)

So many people start things – start a project, start a business, or even start a blog – without having a clear picture or idea of what they are trying to accomplish. To me, this just makes absolutely no sense. You see, if you start out on a journey with no destination in mind, how would you know if or when you made it?

A lot has changed since I started this blog 10+ years ago. I have grown, I’ve learned and developed more skills, and my services and expertise are now becoming more and more in high-demand.

It is because of that philosophical truth stated above, and because of the professional growth and maturity that my business has experienced, that I wanted to give you the following insights and strategic planning that I have in mind as we approach the new fiscal year.

Some of these elements or sections are what you would find in a traditional business plan (and this is a BUSINESS), but they are not meant to be as exhaustive. The gist of this article/post is all about giving you some insight into who I am, who this blog is for, and what you can expect to learn and gather from each article.

So without further delay, let’s get this journey started! 

Executive Summary

I’ll be honest with you, there has been a bit of “selfishness” in my motivations to become a freelance writer, author, and entrepreneur. That is because it fulfilled two of my most desired passions – writing and the ability to work and live on my own terms.

In short, I wanted to be able to LIVE the retired lifestyle while (or as) I’m working. There is no other income generating vehicle or profession that allows this dream to be a reality other than what I’ve found in freelance writing (i.e. copywriting, travel writing, blogging, article writing, etc.), photography (i.e. fine art, stock, commercial and editorial) -- as well as in providing digital marketing services.

But on an unselfish note, as I’ve grown professionally, and as my business has matured and developed, it also helps fulfill another passion of mine, which is being able to help others fulfill their own passions and be able live out the life of their dreams (your dreams).

Vision/Passion: My joy of being a writer and business owner is all wrapped up in my ability to be able to continue to add more and more value to others by growing and equipping readers -- just like you -- to do unbelievable and remarkable things that lead to significant and fulfilled lives.

In fact, let me ask you this: Do you have an unwavering desire to make a difference in the lives of others, but just unsure where to start?
Well… that’s a snapshot of where I was when I first launched this blog and business 10+ years ago. Over the years I’ve learned that leadership and growing a successful business all starts with investing in myself and developing my ability to connect with others (you).

It hasn’t been an easy journey… In fact, the road has been full of debris in many areas from time to time, and I’ve worn many hats since then. But my passion hasn’t changed. If possible, it has become even more and more intense. I’ve remained a student of personal growth and spiritual development. Why? Because I believe it has the power to change us individually, connect us as a community, and transform us as a country (and as a world).

Mission: With that said, there is no greater mission for me, and no greater goal of mine than to help others realize their God-given potential and grow to do significant things that can impact this world for the greater good.

That is why I’ve dedicated my life to doing what I believe I do best: Teach. I do that by writing articles and books, as well as developing courses and programs.

Values:  The values I live by are integrity, accountability, transparency, humility, and dependability.

CEO and Founder - Professional Background

Brief Bio - William Ballard (MBA) is an international best-selling author, public speaker, leadership expert, highly sought after business strategist and marketing consultant, freelance direct-response copywriter, digital marketing specialist, social media manager and influencer, CEO and founder of William Ballard Enterprise, LLC -- and MOST of ALL -- devout servant of the Most High.

His value-driven spirit, collegiate background, and professional expertise makes him a top leader in his field, and an entrepreneur worth following. He has contributed articles to such publications as Entrepreneur, Writer’s Digest, Writers Weekly, and Wealthy Web Writer (an American Writers & Artists, Inc. company) -- just to name a few.

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External Environment Analysis

In the personal development space there is a lot of talk about how the external environment is nothing more than a reflection or manifestation of what is going on internally. However, in the business development space, it is the external environment that influences the internal.

In the business world, there is a thing called a PEST Analysis, which is a technique used to analyze an organization’s general (external) environment. It involves looking at four types of factors, namely: 1) Political, 2) Economic, 3) Social, and 4) Technological.

All of these factors play some role in how a business operates, but specifically when it comes to the freelance writing (copywriting) and advertising industry these are the following three major general environmental factors:  

• Political
• Social and Cultural -- Such as Business and Consumer demographics
• Economic Factors – Financial demographics of businesses and consumers

When it comes to these specific factors here are few key forces that drive this business:

• According to the Direct Marketing Association, companies will spend an estimated $196 billion annually on direct-marketing. And total U.S. direct-marketing sales from those efforts are expected to surpass $2.489 trillion. (Side Note: “65% of all consumers have made a purchase in response to a direct mail and/or email offer.” – DMA Statistical Fact Book 2013)
• Per the Direct Marketing Association, US advertising and marketing expenditures reached a total of $259.9 billion last year. $39.7B on traditional advertising; $89.9B on direct mail; and $129.9B on digital marketing.  (Side Note: “54.2% of the total mail volume in the US is attributed to direct mail.” – DMA Statistical Fact Book 2013)

Internal Environment Analysis

Now that we understand that a business’s internal environment is influenced by its external forces, in this section I will share with you what makes up the internal environment of this business.

SWOT Analysis -- A SWOT analysis involves four specific areas, 1) Strengths, 2) Weaknesses, 3) Opportunities, and 4) Threats.

My strengths as a writer and entrepreneur (business owner) involve my ability to write persuasively and my ability to educate appropriately.  My weaknesses are only limited to the markets and industries I have not been able to participate in, which ushers us into the category of opportunities.

I am part of a community of freelance writers and copywriters (as well as graphic designers and photographers) that host local and worldwide trips monthly and annually – these are just some of the opportunities that are open to me. 

Plus, other opportunities consist of being able to meet new people (i.e.  Political leaders, celebrities, and foreign nationals), as well as the open-mindedness to try new things. In other words, I don’t invest in trends, I invest in what is certain. And the only thing certain is change – trends are here one day and gone the next.
 
Finally, when it comes industry threats, the truth is: There are no threats. As we learned above, this is a growing industry that isn’t seeing a decline anytime soon.

Resources -- As a freelance writer (i.e. direct-response copywriting, etc.) and marketing consultant (i.e. digital marketing, social media management, etc.), I am equipped with the following resources:

• Laptop
• A Point-and-Shoot and Digital SLR camera
  
• Photo editing software
  
• Network of contacts at different publications and collaborative partnerships with graphic designers, photographers, and content creators

Core Competencies – I possess graduate level degrees in business which means I’m an expert in business strategy and marketing effectiveness. I also possess certifications in direct-response style copywriting, and specialize in a handful of digital marketing disciplines such as:

• Email Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Customer Acquisition
• Customer Value Optimization
• Social Media and Community Management

Strategic Implementation Recommendations

Every company or organization is driven by three core objectives, or long-term goals. They are meant to be BIG and require several years to accomplish. Plus, they are meant to be strictly interwoven together with a company’s overall mission and vision. With that said…

Core Objectives: The three long-term objectives for this writing and consulting business are as followed:

1. Implement a focused strategy approach to develop new partnerships with local small business owners, publication editors, and local creative specialist such as designers, photographers, and social media content creators -- as well as strengthen current relationships. 
2. I aim to increase the quality of my photography tools and resources in order to provide better quality images for you (my readers) -- as well as for my clients.
3. The last long-term chief-aim of mine is to increase my social media following and blog subscribers from 10,000+ to 100,000 by the end of 2020.

Strategic Implementation Plan

“It has been said that a failure to plan is a plan to fail, but even worse than that… To plan, and then fail to work (implement) that plan is nothing more than a waste of time.” 
​– William Ballard

It has also been said that it is impossible to plan for everything that could possibly happen. However, such a truth does not excuse the neglect of planning. With that said, every strategic implementation plan is given specific guidelines in order to complete – such as objectives, functional tactics, action items, milestones or deadlines, task and task ownership, as well as resource allocations.

Another truth is: It doesn’t matter how thought-out a plan is, a plan means nothing if it is not put to work (implemented). In fact, it was James who told us, “Faith without works is dead.” Faith being the dream of your business, and works being what you do to make your dream a reality (alive) – “Plan the work, then work the plan.”

To that end, it is important to be clear on objectives, as well as task and actions necessary to achieve those objectives by their deadlines.

Short-Term Objectives – It is important to not get these objectives or goals confused with the three core objectives we just mentioned. However, these short-term goals are meant to gradually move us closer to achieving our three core objectives. It is also important to understand that although there are three-core objectives, there is really not a specific number has to how many short-term goals you can have.

Therefore, my short-term goals are as followed:

1. Write and publish one new article a week here on the blog
2. Pitch (or query) at least five new article ideas to online pubs and magazines a month
3. Take one day a week to focus on photography department of my business (Which encompasses going out into the field and taking photos and coming home and editing those photos)
4. Implement specific lead-generation strategies for increasing my newsletter subscriber list (readership) as well as social media following.

Side Note: In reference to the first core objective above, I am experiencing a high demand for sponsored post by specific business owners. Because my readers, followers, and overall business is growing, these business owners are beginning to realize just how valuable my audience really is – how valuable YOU (my readers) really are!

To that end, I am going to be capitalizing on this demand and strengthening my professional relationships with these businesses -- both large and small. Which means there will be a certain number of sponsored post published each month.

Each sponsored post will require a minimum fee of at least $100 (including royalties or commissions for each sell or new lead that comes into that business's funnel or sales cycle). The purpose for this is to make sure that only businesses and products that I highly recommend are being promoted or presented to my audience.

(Additional Side Note: I will also be posting annual and quarterly goals in separate posts as they come about.)

Action Items – Now that we have an idea of what our short-term goals are, the action items I am setting for myself are pitching at least five new article ideas a week, and posting two new photography products (fine art, stock, etc.) a day on my social media pages (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter).

Final Thoughts

In closing, as I aim to maintain a strategic approach to improving and developing my business, and retain a value-driven spirit that is focused on living out the vision and mission of this whole enterprise through a spirit of excellence. To that end, there is no reason why I would not be able to achieve my core objectives.

As I continue to remain focused on the main purpose of this business – its purpose for being, as well as having a driven and unwavering desire to serve my readers, customers, and clients, I will continue to grow and strengthen my position within this industry and the markets I serve.

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