I'm Creating Strategic Plans for 2011

I have a lot of projects that I desire to complete in 2011. One of the things that I did to set myself up for success going into 2011 was to attend a teleconference on Wednesday, December 22, 2010, offered by Andrew Morrison of Small Business Camp. The discussion topic was appropriately entitled, “Creating Strategic Plans for the New Year.”

Equipped with my trusty laptop (Betsy), I got busy taking notes. I discovered many strategies from this hour and a half-long session that will enable me to realize my plans. Here, I will detail the points and how I plan to apply them to my respective projects not now, but RIGHT NOW:

1. Get in the habit of speaking less and communicating more. I learned from Andrew that you don’t want to half-talk who you are and what you do. You must be clear about what you want to convey and deliver it in a manner that will compel people to become not only interested in what you do but ready to help you or connect you with someone who can assist you. Today, this is my introduction to who I am… “Hello, my name is Feona Sharhran Huff. I am the Founder & CEO of Powerhouse Media Group, a full-service agency that produces publications and events that inspire, empower and celebrate women, single mothers, and youth.” Hopefully, you don’t see my introduction as some long and drawn out speech but something that’s concise yet speaks volumes to the services that my company offers.

2. In event planning, minimize your costs. I dream big when it comes to planning events. However, as I plan for Solo Mommy Magazine’s “Special Tribute to SOLO Daddies,” for example, I am looking at how I can be financially savvy with my expenditures for this June 2011 event. I plan to solicit volunteers and seek out interns who can receive college credit for their services. I am entertaining the idea of having the event at my church. As a member, I would get a discount. And, if you didn’t know it, the venue is ALWAYS the most costly item amongst what you have to dish out for your event. I’m also planning to seek out sponsorships and partnerships.

3. Who else in your industry is making money? There are several people in the industries of event planning, magazine publishing and children’s book writing that I am reading up on. They are monetarily successful at what they do. I know that I can learn from them so I can increase my wealth to be able to do more of what I love.

4. Conduct free workshops and sell your book. Throughout the course of 2011, I will be charging for some workshops and offering others for free. However, at both, I will be selling my books. These are opportune times to get my books out to the masses as oppose to walking the streets and trying to sell to one customer at a time. At my workshops, I will have the potential customers. All I need to do is have the books available for purchase. On Sunday, January 30, 2011, I will be conducting my Mirror Mirror self-esteem workshop for Black tween girls (ages 7 to 12) from 3 to 6 pm at True South Books (492 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216). I will also be selling, Mirror Mirror: An Empowerment Book for Black Girls. Who knows… I may have parents to purchase books for not only their daughters but their nieces, students and neighbors as well!

5. Understand who is your customer. As the publisher of Solo Mommy Magazine, it is important to know and understand who my readers are. In 2011, it is my priority to take surveys as well as do more fellowshipping with these single moms (through events such as “Girl Get-Togethers” and “Movies & a Conversation”), to get a better understanding of who they and what they need. This will allow me to better serve them through the magazine and in the events that I produce for them.

6. Don’t beat yourself up. Be gentle. Ask yourself what you learned from your experiences. I am very hard on myself when it comes to producing successful projects and events. When I don’t feel like enough people showed up or I didn’t meet my financial mark, I can really go in on myself. In the new year, however, I’m going to deal with myself differently. The first thing I will do is acknowledge what I did well. Then, I will access what didn’t go so well and look at what I can do better the next time. Also, I will consider what I learned. Will it be that I should have had a back up speaker? Or, that I needed to plan for attendance cancellations? Whatever it is, I will embrace it because it will only make my planning better for the next event.

7. Find a media personality/celebrity that matches your brand. I have identified several figures in the media and entertainment fields who perfectly suit the mission of Solo Mommy Magazine and the workshops I conduct to empower tween and teen girls. I have already reached out to one tween hip-hop artist whose mother is very interested in having her daughter make a special appearance at my Mirror Mirror workshop in January. The 11-year-old rising star is bold, confident and has a high self-esteem. She is the epitome of the empowered young girl that I write about in my book. Her involvement would bring an increased awareness to my cause.

8. Document your success. By keeping a detailed account of the work I have done, this will allow others to see in black-n-white (or through photos) exactly what I’ve accomplished. Currently, I have binders for Powerhouse and Solo Mommy activities. Every time I conduct a workshop, I place the flier in the binder along with photos taken at the event and testimonials/feedback I’ve received. And, if there have been any media write-ups, I include those as well. When I go to make presentations, my binders speak volumes as to my success. As the saying goes… “pictures don’t lie!”

I hope that by me sharing the ways in which I plan on having a productive 2011, you will embrace the strategies I gathered from Andrew’s teleconference and implement them for your particular projects. Happy strategizing!