Business Development When an organization has its sales and marketing team in place, the overall effort has just begun. A number of strategic issues must be considered. For example, is exporting the product or service a good idea? If so, how should we go about doing so? Do we have a good understanding of our market and our competition? How do we enter market areas that we have previously avoided? Are we strong enough to expand? What is our best expansion strategy? Another consideration may be simply training of our marketing and sales staff. Exporting Exporting requires considering a number of issues. Among them are the restrictions placed by the United States government and the ability to ensure payment once our product or service is delivered. Many small companies either do not realize that the United States government provides a great deal of information on the rules and regulations for exporting, or simply do not have access to it. Much information is available, but the inexperienced can be overwhelmed with its complexity. Expansion The strategic considerations in business expansion will impact exactly how an organization manages its staffing. For instance, should we hire all additional sales personnel, should we have people work part-time in the effort, or should we have an outside organization manage the effort? AIM has worked with organizations to determine the best approach to meet their specific business need. Market Planning It may seem obvious that a businessperson knows his or her business and therefore has a good understanding of the market. Unfortunately, that is quite often not the case. And, it is not limited to new businesses. An organization may be thriving in a market and market forces change. The result can be a total loss of market, with its resulting sales impacts. AIM has worked with organizations to allow them to better appreciate their market and to allow them to anticipate and respond to market changes. Business References Carl Lehmann President Energy Source Education Council carl.lehmann@nspco.com J.W. Holmes President J.W. Holmes & Company jperiod@clark.net | AIM Home | What's New at AIM | About AIM | Sales & Marketing | | Business Development | Market Integration | Contact AIM |