What do you do with your business? You probably do stuff which makes you feel like you're going somewhere, right? So, how many bridges to nowhere did you create? How far did they get you in 2014?

Are you ready to get 2015 started on the right path? I'll give you a hint...it all starts with marketing!

Try as you might you can't take a business idea and simply start selling. This is not an enduring business model. You may have some initial success, but eventually you will struggle. Maybe your experience proves this true?

Marketing is that connector between a great idea and successful sales. Marketing connects your ideal client to your product or service. And, isn't it a lot easier when your ideal target shows up to buy? It stops you from feeling salesy, and disappointed when you hear "No" because you're talking to the right people!

Do you know the difference between a goal, a strategy, and a tactic? If you do, congratulations! You are probably running your business like a business. If you don't, that's okay too. It's an area of confusion for many business owners, and maybe something here will be that "Aha" moment where you see the missing piece of your business puzzle!

A goal is your destination. It's your end-game. It's your target. Maybe it's written down. Maybe it's broken into segments. Regardless of the size of your goal, or how it's been created, everything you do is measured against it so you know whether you're on track and moving in the right direction, or not.

Now, you need to get there. How do you do that? To start, knowing this difference between a strategy, and a tactic, is your first critical step.

Developing both strategies and tactics to help you reach your goal is necessary because having both is what separates a business owner who loves their business from one who is continually overwhelmed and frustrated with their business. Creating strategies and tactics for your business gets you thinking, outlining, prioritizing, and planning for your business success, and then, implementing those plans with purpose and intention. Creating both strategies and tactics usually indicates that you're a business owner focused on growing your business, and not a hobbyist working a business. Make sense?

Many business experts interchange the two words, which doesn't help. A tactic is never a strategy, and a strategy is never a tactic. Most business owners want to simply run their business, and seek out processes and templates to get them on track. The idea of thinking about their business sounds tiresome and overwhelming because thinking isn't doing. And, if you're not doing, you're not moving your business forward. But, a little bit of upfront thinking can do more to get you moving toward success than all the processes and templates combined!

Consider this, you wake up and say, "I want to brighten up my room (GOAL). I think I'll change the color (STRATEGY)." You go to the paint store to select a new color. But, you don't end up with just paint and a brush, right? You need sandpaper, spackle, tape, caulk...the things that will prepare the wall for painting.

Creating both strategies and tactics for your business is the foundational and fundamental layer that will prepare your business for success. Just like the painting example, most of the work and steps involved in transforming a room comes during the prep stage. And, the prep is different based on the strategy you're employing. Having a strategy keeps you focused on the end-game. For instance, if you wanted to brighten the room by changing the accent pieces, or by putting up different window treatments, the steps you would take to reach your goal (brighter room) would be different, right?  
Strategies and tactics have different roles to play, and it helps if the business owner really understands this idea, because this understanding is what can minimize the overwhelm and frustration so many business owners experience when running their business.

Simply put, strategies get you working ON your business. Strategies get business owners thinking, planning, and outlining business activities (TACTICS) that need to be done. Strategies require identifying, prioritizing, and outlining a multi-step plan that will move a business owner from where they are now to their end-game (GOAL). So now, instead of thinking processes and templates, you're thinking processes and templates to help you reach your specific goal.

We all have skill gaps. I will admit to having several, especially in the area of accounting and technology. I have learned over my 18 year journey as an entrepreneur that if you want to build an enduring business, identifying your skill gaps and finding the right people to help you close them is the soundest business strategy I can ever offer a new business owner. The idea of surrounding yourself with people smarter than you comes to mind, but remember, they only need to be smarter than you in the area where you're not as smart. And, if you've been in business long enough you know that we all possess different strengths, there is nothing wrong with admitting that you need help in a specific area or two, or three! We can be a better visionary and creator when we have people who are helping us understand the potential practicality and processes of our ideas. And, most entrepreneurs are visionaries or creators.