Your business plan must contain “believable financial projections with key data explained and documented,” noted Stanley R. Rich, author of Business Plans That Win $$$: Lessons from the MIT Enterprise Forum. “The business that runs by the ‘seat of its pants,’ usually winds up with torn pants,” he added.

Arbitrarily demanding a 15% uptick is not enough and will probably backfire. Ask yourself why you’re pursuing 15%. Is there a better target? Then ask how you’re going to get there. Are the right tools in place to make this happen or will you simply rely on “more hustle?”

How will more prospects learn about your products, services, business improvements, and upgrades? Clarify your expectations and don’t be shy about noting how you’ll provide new services or meet new goals. Think about motivation. Will those who do meet the new goal(s) be rewarded with a bonus or extra vacation time? Will you be implementing a print or direct marketing plan? How about an e-mail campaign? Will you be attending trade shows? Investing in new equipment? Hiring the personnel that can help you get there? Will you be working with a media relations representative, marketing pro, or business coach?

Also, ask your staff for feedback on a confidential level. Have formal give-and-take discussions at least annually where notes are taken so staff learns that their ideas and experiences are valued. If you make someone’s suggestion a reality let others know about it and if it turns out to be a good idea, give him a bonus. This will motivate others to do the same.

Back to the first point. Your business’ mission statement — do you have one? Your mission statement can be very simple, highly complex, or somewhere in the middle. It should be a clear and succinct representation of your business’ purpose for existence and incorporate socially meaningful and measurable criteria addressing such concepts as the moral/ethical position of the enterprise, public image, target market(s), products/services, the geographic domain and growth and profitability expectations according to the Center for Business Planning in Austin, Texas. “A good mission statement is so easily communicated and understood that a 12-year-old can repeat it,” said Laurie Beth Jones, author of The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and Life. This serves as a moral anchor or compass to keep staff grounded when things get confusing.

The Sale’s in the E-Mail
Tom Holownia, principal and brand strategist at Blended Thinking, a San Francisco Bay Area marketing and brand-consulting firm says put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. Many are “overwhelmed.” To succeed study those who’ve succeeded.

Brands periodically “up-end” the traditional rules of marketing and win. Look at who’s doing that in cigars, advised Holownia. “What’s the tradition and where can it be messed with to the benefit your store?”

Cigar enjoyment engages too many senses for an e-mail message to adequately address, but what it can do is have the recipient recall the “experience.” Similarly, wineries use wine clubs to stay in touch with visitors. “E-mail can also target people through significant events like cigars at weddings. Tying a cigar brand to a memorable life event, such as the birth of a child, may help keep a customer for life.” Also, including a special offer, such as buy-two-get-one-free, will help get any recipient to open the e-mail.

An e-mail list can be purchased from a list broker. To build your own, ask patrons to write their e-mail address in a notebook left on your check-out counter or drop a business card in a fish bowl. List important information in any marketing communication such as street address, credit cards accepted, hours of operation, special events, web address, telephone number, and if you provide special services such as free or overnight shipping.

It’s in the Cards
According to Josh Rosen of Business Payment Systems (BPS), the largest independent sales organization for Bank of America, which provides merchants with gift-card programs, “More companies are choosing customized gift cards over the old-fashioned paper gift certificates. Though the difference between paper vs. plastic may seem obvious, several benefits of a gift-card program for retailers are not quite as apparent.”

Gift cards are more profitable than their paper predecessors. Customers typically spend more than they would to use the amount remaining on the card or may spend less than its value, leaving the balance as retailer profit.

Nearly 60% of consumers asked for gift cards as presents this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2006 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, which also reported that gift-card sales totaled $18.48 bn in the 2005 holiday season. The average consumer spent $88.03 on gift cards during the holidays — 15.6% of their holiday gift budget. More than 75% polled said that they plan to purchase at least one gift card, and more than 50% would like to receive them for the holidays.

Also note that gift cards give a retailer the advantage of product placement. “When placed in point-of-sale displays by the cash register, gift cards can trigger a customer to purchase, just from visibility alone,” said Rosen. “Gift cards act as a ‘mini billboard’ in the customer’s wallet, creating retailer awareness each time a cardholder sifts through her wallet.”

Gift cards also help with record-keeping. “Since they’re processed electronically, this enables us to easily generate reports, track sales growth, and determine how much gift-card value is currently outstanding,” said Rosen. Cards can be purchased directly from a gift-card company or though a credit- card processor.

On average, first-time orders for retailers are $700 for 500 cards. After the initial purchase the fee can drop to $400. After ordering costs, every time the card is swiped, it costs the business an average of 15 cents. The card is usually swiped three times — the merchant swipes to activate it and the customer generally comes in one to two times. Fifteen to 18% of cards are never swiped.

There’s a lot to do when growing a business. These are just a few ideas that can help you do it better.