Q. I am a 21-year-old junior at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. I am enrolled in a small business management class consisting of all female students. We are creating business plans to enter in a competition sponsored by SIFE, of which I am a member. SIFE stands for Students In Free Enterprise and is an international organization. Our chapter is small, but we do compete internationally, and usually we do quite well. I was wondering whether you had any tips or advice to pass along to the rest of the girls.

Thank you,
Libby Horner

Congratulations on being a part of an organization with a reputation for preparing entrepreneurs for success. Every aspect of business is important. But the one thing that stands out is marketing and sales. You should know who your target market is, where it is and how you are going to get people to shop at your business.

A friend I will call Janie has owned a successful hair salon for 10 years when she decided to expand her business to include an upscale day spa. With the help of an organization designed to help small businesses get financing, Janie came up with what appeared to be a great business plan. Janie refinanced her house, used all of her savings, found several investors and managed to get a $400,000 loan to build her million-dollar dream business.

The salon/spa was large, beautiful and had all the features of a European health spa. But after two years, Janie's business was dying a slow death. People walked by and admired its loveliness, but few came in for services. Of course all of the customers who had used her hair services continued to come, but few wanted spa therapies.

Janie said she couldn't understand it. She had spent months laying out a business plan and was following it. I offered to take a look at her plan. As I suspected, there were a lot of details about who and where her market was, but the marketing and sales strategies were only the typical generic entries: advertising in newspapers, radio and direct mail. The plan didn't mention specifically how to get people in the door!

To know where your market is but not be specific about how you are going to attract customers is to not know your market at all.

Janie had no money left to hire a public relations and advertising company. Because most of her customers are professional people and business owners, I advised Janie to develop a board of advisors from her database of current customers. I suggested that she select three or four people who would be willing to help her and who were proficient in sales, marketing, advertising and public relations and could schedule monthly advisory meetings until she got on safe ground. Then the meetings could become quarterly check-up meetings. To compensate her board, she could offer the discount services. Also, because Janie's spa is located near a business area, I suggested that she design a spa package for hotels to offer their guests.

In your business plan, you need to include creative ways to get customers to shop with you.

Several years ago, I conducted an entrepreneurial workshop for fourth and fifth-grade girls. The girls were divided into groups of threes, and each group formed a partnership. One girl insisted on being a sole proprietor. The groups' mission was to write a business plan for a lemonade stand. When we reached the sales and marketing part of the business plan, I stressed the importance of coming up with the best way to get customers to their stand. The partners labored over how to guarantee lemonade sales.

The sole proprietor raised her hand to share her strategy. She said, "I have a 15-year old brother who is very handsome and a star on the football team. Girls chase him and follow him all the time. I will make a sign that reads, 'WANT A COOL, FRESH, DELICIOUS EXPERIENCE? FOLLOW ME!' I'll tape the sign on his back and have him ride around on his bike to the places where the girls hang out and lead them back to my lemonade stand. I just bet I'll sell plenty of lemonade!"

Good marketing and sales strategies get to the heart of the matter. Sometimes the obvious and the outrageous offer practical solutions.

Best wishes and have fun in the competition!

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