No matter how you look at it, budgeting is tricky. When you get it right, you’re an absolute genius. But when you get it wrong, things can get very messy. So how do you avoid the latter? You choose a budgeting process that suits your organization. Top-down budgeting is a budgetary system that can bring …
Let’s admit it. Budgeting can be an excruciating process.  It’s slow. It’s messy. It’s painful. And it’s tedious.  But it’s also essential for any company to determine if they have enough resources to operate, grow, and remain competitive. One of the most effective financial planning systems available is bottom-up budgeting.  While it …
What is Bottom-Up Budgeting? Everything You Need to Know Read More »
Business is a lot easier when you can gaze into the future. Some businesses have terrible vision – they’re constantly caught off-guard and can’t seem to anticipate what’s to come. Other businesses are equipped with adequate vision and can dodge roadblocks but fail to stand out from the competition. Then there are the select few …
Scenario Planning vs Business Forecasting: The subtle differences Read More »
What makes an outstanding marketer?  Outstanding marketers know how to identify the best channels for growth and which channels to avoid. They also understand data-driven insights and know how to leverage them to influence marketing decisions.  Key performance indicators (KPIs) guide these marketers to success, giving them the necessary information to plan their …
So, people are buying your products and services, but how many touchpoints did it take to get them there? And which touchpoint was the deciding factor?  With an attribution model in place, you can analyze every touchpoint that transforms leads into conversions. That way, you’re never unaware of what triggers your customers into making …
Attribution Modeling: The Key to a Better Marketing Budget Read More »
Successful marketing isn’t just about ad campaigns, content creation, lead generation, and attending events. Successful marketing is also about strategy, foresight, and goal setting. But most importantly, to be a successful marketer, you must know how to adhere to a budget, so you can distribute funds effectively to maximize your marketing effort. As head of …
The single most important thing in marketing is your marketing budget. Here’s why: it fuels your marketing department, helps you develop your marketing plan, gives your marketing direction, brings perspective to your long-term goals, and makes every marketing initiative possible. Indeed, if you want to maximize every cent you invest in your marketing effort, you …
The Secrets of a More Effective Marketing Budget Read More »
When the pandemic was just a whisper in the air, H-E-B, a supermarket chain based in San Antonio, Texas, already had a plan. The company didn’t know how chaotic the situation would, or could, get. Still, it was able to cope with the virus with more composure than most companies in the US and abroad. …
How to Use Scenario Planning to Anticipate the Future Read More »
Scenario planning is a technique that was invented in the 1950s to give the US Military an edge over the competition. Because it was the closest thing to predicting the future, private corporations quickly adopted it. Peter Schwartz, the pioneer of corporate scenario planning, described it as: A tool for ordering one’s perceptions about alternative …
The Essential Steps of the Scenario Planning Process Read More »
Scenario Planning: What it is and why you need it By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin Though Benjamin Franklin likely thought up these words at the end of the 18th century, they ring just as true today as they did then. Indeed, this quote applies to many choices we make …
Scenario Planning: What it is and why you need it Read More »
