LM Company Strategic Plan

LM Company Strategic Plan Abstract The market, which any organization serves, is dynamic in nature. This is mainly attributed to changes in the environment in which the organization is existent. The various environments which affect organizations include: Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Environmental.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on LM Company Strategic Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Constant monitoring and evaluation of these environments should therefore be carried out to track any changes that may occur and undertake appropriate measures. These issues should be addressed with immediate effect as failure to do so may cause dire consequences for the organization. This paper will therefore focus on these issues in one fruit producing company, LM as well as a functional strategic plan that will steer the organization in the right direction. Introduction LM is a fruit producing company that has been in business for th e last ­ 20 years. Overtime, the company has reported robust growth over the last few decades which has mainly been attributed to the rapidly changing consumer lifestyle trends. The current health campaign witnessed all over the country has increased demand in fresh fruit and vegetable products. LM has gone out of its way to make sure it meets these needs in a bid to satisfy the customer. As a result of this intervention, the organization has been catapulted to higher levels leading to increased profit margins. The industry has also witnessed entry of new businesses aiming to cut a niche in the rapidly growing market. This has prompted the company to review and adjust its plan in order to position it in such a manner that it will continue surviving and thriving in the market. As a result of the new developments, the organization’s strategic plan will ensure that it addresses these challenges appropriately as well as provide a roadmap for the organization for the next five y ears. Organizational profile The combined produce industry is one that has seen tremendous growth over the last decades as a result of a shift in lifestyle trends with most consumers advocating for fresh fruits and vegetables. LM is one of the companies that identified this market gap and as a result decided to exploit this opportunity. The next 55 years is nothing but a tells of these products include fruits such as apples and cherries and vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and the like. Customer support LM emphasizes on providing customer support and this is evidenced in the 24 Care centre that offers assistance to customers, addressing their queries. This is also proven by providing full support in the supply chain as it deals with the entire process, starting from farming, packing, logistics and finally to sales. The LM family LM treats every employee, customers and suppliers as family. This helps foster a sense of belonging and association hence nurtures l oyalty. It has a diverse network of growers situated in different states and even countries all having good values and work ethic. Although they may differ in age, language or gender, all are united by one fact, their passion for farming. They are all recognized as part of the LM family. This network ensures that supply of products is constant and subdues any demand eventualities hence guaranteeing fresh quality produce to our customers. Leadership LM success would not have been possible without the dedicated workforce that has made LM be what it is now. The leadership and vision of the management team, starting from the founder and chairman, Joe McGee and President and CEO, John Oxford, down to the employee in the apple orchids, the growth of the company would not have been experienced. They their vast knowledge in the produce market have provided guidance and helped steer the organization in the right direction.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on LM Com pany Strategic Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strategic plan According to May, a strategic plan is a firm’s roadmap that details direction that â€Å"guides an organization to achieve its set objectives† (25). Strategic planning, according to Steiner, is an â€Å"organization’s process of defining its strategy or direction and making decisions on allocating resources to pursue this strategy† (16). It seeks to answer the following questions: What do we do? How do we excel? Where do we see ourselves in the future from now? New entrants in the produce market have prompted the need to develop a strategic plan that would steer the organization in the right direction. This will help ensure the organization remains relevant and successful in a competitive environment. The LM strategic plan will therefore provide focus for the organization and also ensure proper utilization of available resources, embracing new t echnologies that would increase production, and embrace relevant technologies that would improve the quality of produce and most importantly, provide alternatives for the development and growth of supplier alliances, retaining the current suppliers as well as attracting new and able suppliers for the constant supply of fresh produce. This will take LM to a new level to even compete in the global platform. IM 2013-2017 strategic plan The strategic plan is detailed to ensure that the organization adopt relevant strategies that will guide the organization in the right direction. It details the challenges that are currently being experienced by the company, provides strategic objectives that will guide the organization in the specified time and strategic goals that aim at achieving the identified objectives. LM external environment The external environment is comprised of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Environmental (PESTEL) aspects. However, the external environment is one that is beyond an organization’s control and therefore, the PESTEL analysis is a preventive measure. In the view of evaluating these environments in order to identify their relevance to the organization, a PESTEL analysis should be carried out. The variables that affect the company strategy as per the analysis are detailed below: Political aspect- Following efforts made by the government and other law makers in the industry following their endorsement of encouraging healthy eating habits, this has translated to improved business for the organization. Economic aspect- Throughout the years, rapid diversification of the market has been experienced. This has contributed to increase in food production. It has therefore led to development of strong competitive pressure in the industry that has not particularly favored the organization.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This, coupled with increasing prices of farm inputs that have led to increase in supplier prices as well as high inflation experienced in the market has compromised the strategic position of the organization in the market. This has prompted the need to come up with measures that will deal with these issues as provided by the 2013-2017 Strategic plan. Social aspect- Changing lifestyle trends, with most people opting for healthy food has seen the adoption of fresh produce as opposed to pre-packaged produce. Recent demographic surveys have also revealed increase in population growth rate hence increased demand for food products. This makes business better for the organization. Technological aspect- Technology is ever changing, aiming to simplify work done by human beings. The organization is on the receiving end with this one as it has not adopted advanced technology fully in its processes hence lead to lost or expensive business. Legal aspect- LM has a large aspect of external growers who are guided by contracts offered by the organization. There is need for stricter contract enforcement to ensure that produce are delivered well in their time schedules. Apart from the PESTEL analysis, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is also applicable, particularly in the Opportunities and Threats aspects. This analysis focuses on analyzing the opportunities that are available for the organization as well as the threats facing the organization in the market such as ready local and regional markets. The above variables will affect the organization in one way or another and contrary to this will place the business on the losing end. Proper undertaking of this analysis will provide guidance to the organization in ways of improving its undertakings. LM’s internal environment This environment is one that is within the organization’s control since it deals with internal aspects of the organization, therefore, a SWOT analysis is carried out. In accordance with the organization, the following strengths and weaknesses are exhibited. Strengths Dedicated workforce- The organization is fortunate to have hardworking and resilient employees as well as suppliers who enable the smooth running of the organization’s day to day operations. Diverse supplier networks- The organization has a diverse networking ranging from growers from different states to different countries. This ensures the constant supply of produce hence guaranteeing supply of products to customers. Stakeholder participation- Participation from government, customers, suppliers and creditors help establish the organization and ground it firmly amidst increasing competition pressure. Weaknesses Low adaptability of advanced technology- Advanced technology benefits organizations in the sense that it lowers production cost hence translating to lower wholesale and retail costs. It also positions the organization in the competitive market. Unfortunately, LM h as not been able to fully adopt new technology hence causing lost business opportunities. Increased competition- LM over the years has faced stiff competition from existing and new competitors. This has resulted to the loss of business for the organization. Therefore, in a bid to address this issue, the organization should adopt the competitive strategies for survival (Michael 233). LM resources LM most prized resource is human resource. This is because it manifests itself in the growers, who supply fresh produce to the organization, as well as employees who run the day-to-day operations of the organization. Other important resources are LM farms which help supplement the organization’s produce, as well as equipment which are used throughout the process. Capabilities The organization has the potential to grow beyond the current level. This is because once it adopts new technology, output will surely increase. It can also improve the sales levels by diversifying the product ba se by adopting products with established markets as well as those in high demand. Core competencies Close supplier relationship- The organization strives at maintaining close links with suppliers. This helps foster stable relationships that have present or future advantages. All operations therefore are carried out in good faith. A good working relationship with suppliers provides a base for good business on behalf of the organization. Employee loyalty- LM considers every employee as family. The feeling of belonging is important as makes individuals to feel wanted and valued hence do their best in their duties. Therefore, this means improved and efficient service. Strategic goals The objectives as detailed indicated below will provide guidance to the organization in the period specified, 2013-2017: Enhance competitiveness of the organization Embrace technology for improved productivity Improve effectiveness of the supply chain Expand product base Strategic Goal 1: Enhance competit iveness of the organization Due to the increased competition in the market, seeing the rise of new entrants and efforts made by the existing competitors, they have posed a threat to the organization. Therefore, in order to deal with this, the organization should incorporate Information and Technology systems in their processes. This will improve customer service hence improve their loyal relationship with the organization. Another way of achieving this goal is by undertaking proper market research. This will help establish gaps in the market that provide the organization with opportunity for improved business and improved product delivery that will satisfy changing customer needs. Researches will also assist the organization determine appropriate fruit products with wide profit margins and in high demand, that the organization can opt at producing for improved business (Philip 348). LM should also embrace value addition. According to Belkaoui, this is the process of improving the or iginal state of a product by â€Å"modifying it for its end use by the consumer† (40). The organization should invest in the appropriate technology to make this possible. This will improve the position of the organization in the market hence steer clear from competitors. Strategic Goal 2: Embrace technology for improved productivity Technology will go a long way in improving productivity. Recent systems that can be applicable for LM include the Enterprise Resource Systems, (ERP). According to Harwood, ERP is a set of integrated systems â€Å"operating in a business that control business functions more effectively and efficiently† (11). This will assist different departments within the organization to communicate, such as the finance department and the operations departments. Another technology that can be adopted is one that interconnects supplier networks sites to the organizations’ own. Therefore, in case there is a decrease in the levels of certain products i n the organization’s inventory, the supplier is promptly notified and therefore fills up the deficiency. This translates to improved business as there is constant supply of products. Strategic Goal 3: Improve effectiveness of the supply chain Proper monitoring of the Supply chain will seek to identify ways and means of reducing costs in the process. This will enable the organization save up and divert the money to other processes that really need it. The organization could also improve the participation of customers by involving them in the process. For instance, LM could adopt an online ordering system that will allow them place their orders electronically. The website should therefore be updated and made user friendly for easy navigation. Strategic Goal 4: Expand product base LM should look into other products in order to diversify their product line. This will translate to improved business. The organization should invest in research in a bid to identify suitable products it could adopt based on market demand and projected sales revenues. Conclusion Therefore, the organization should keep abreast of changing trends in the market and supplement them in the Strategic Plan. This plan should not be static but flexible in order to provide room for change based on the prevailing market trends or aspects affecting the organization. The organization during the planning process should take into consideration its financial position, it should also ensure it implements change effectively in areas where it is required for reception by employees. The organization should finally provide updated financial reports to assess whether it is in the right financial position to implement change. This will make the organization implement the strategic plan effectively. Belkaoui, Ahmed. Value added reporting: Lessons for the United States. Washington: McGraw-Hill Publishers, 1999. Print. Harwood, Samuel. ERP. New York: Sage Publishers, 2003. Print. May, Gary. Strategic pla nning: Fundamentals for small businesses. New York: Sage Publishers, 2010. Print. Philip, Sadler. Strategic management. London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2003. Print. Michael, Porter. On competition. New York: Joessey Publishers, 2008. Print. Steiner, George. Strategic planning. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishers, 2010. Print

9 Ways To Turn Old Blog Posts Into New Content Ideas

9 Ways To Turn Old Blog Posts Into New Content Ideas Ever play 20 questions? This is like that. Just with fewer questions. If you’ve written a blog post, something must have inspired you to do it- love of the topic. Looming deadline. Desire to grow traffic. It could be anything. Have you really poked and prodded those old posts, though, and seen if there was more you could squeeze out of them? Much of the time we write a post and think, â€Å"There, I wrote about that topic. Done!† and move on to looking for a new idea. We talk a lot about reworking and repurposing content, but maybe you need a mechanism to help prompt you to see your old blog posts in a new light. Find your favorite blog posts, and let’s go through some questions about them. Time to kick off the dust and see what new content ideas are lurking in your old blog posts. 9 Ways To Create Outstanding New Content From Old Posts via @JulieNeidlinger Question #1: Was Your Post A  Good Idea? You may have loved writing the post, but did it get the traffic and traction you’d hoped for? Did people comment and share it on social media? Are you looking at your dashboard and seeing dismal stats? If the post seems to have bombed, it doesn’t mean the topic was bad, but that your idea was the wrong approach. Or, it might mean that your traffic back when you wrote the post was smaller than it is now, and your new audience might not even know it exists. If a post bombed, there is a lot to learn from it for new content ideas. #bloggingtipsAnswer: Yes, it was. People loved it. Perhaps your post was highly successful in all the usual measurements, getting: High traffic Lots of social shares Plenty of social proof Active comments section Several bloggers linking in from their own blog posts If that’s the case, good job. But keep reading this post. You're still not done with that idea even if your initial post was successful the first go-around. Action: Go to the next question. Answer: No, it really wasn’t. If your post just didn’t seem to work the first time around, great news: Not that many people apparently saw it! You can rework the post entirely, and bring that topic of the pile. For those readers who might stumble on your old post, use a 301 redirect (not a canonical redirect, which is for search engines) to send your readers to the new one. You keep whatever traffic that old one may have received and funnel it to the new post. If you’re worried about using a 301 redirect, don’t be. It isn’t going to hurt you very much. According to Google’s Matt Cutts, you’ll lose only a â€Å"tiny little bit† if you use this technique. Don’t dwell on the old post. Point people to the new content you’re about to create. Action: Move on to question #2. Question #2: Do You Have More You Want To Say? As much as you may have written in that first post, are you dying to talk more about it? I know I have my favorite topics that I like to write about, and each time I sit down to write about them, new ideas pop into my head. Often, we can talk about a topic repeatedly because: There are changes or updates that affect the original take on the topic. You’ve learned some additional information. You’ve changed your mind. Reader feedback has made it clear you need to flesh out more of the topic. You feel like you just want to write more, or could say it differently. Take a look at your favorite posts, especially your older posts. Do these five criteria fit? Answer: Yes, I could definitely talk more about it. This is the best place to be. Not only do you have a foundational post to refer to when you write about that same topic, but you also have reader feedback and reaction to respond and refer to as well. Action: Move on to the next question, or write the new post. Answer: No, I’m done talking about it. If you feel like you’ve written the pants off of that topic, you probably won’t get much more out of trying now. I’d encourage you to use your editorial calendar, though, and add a note in six months or a year to revisit that old post. You might have more to say about it then, even if only to point out how that topic hasn’t changed for you. Action: Add a note to your calendar, and see question #9. Question #3: Is It A  Topic That Readers Could Benefit From More Coverage? Whether you want to write more on it or not, your readers may need you to. You’ll know if readers want more coverage by how and what they’re saying on social media (in response to that post) or in the blog comments section. Answer: Yes, readers seem to want to know more. More than once we’ve written blog posts that respond directly to comments readers have made on this blog. Comments that lend well to additional blog posts follow a general pattern. I don’t understand. I disagree, and here’s why. I don’t think this would work for me. Here’s my specific situation. Would this work for me? This is so helpful. I especially like the part about _____. New blog posts on that topic will explain what readers didn’t understand. They might show how to use an idea in several real-world scenarios so readers can identify better with how it applies to them. And, when someone picks out a part they really like...that’s a gold mine. Go into more detail. Action: Move on to the next question, or write the new post. Contact readers directly (like I did for this post) and ask them more questions about their comments to get even more ideas. Answer: No, there isn’t much interest. If people didn’t share the post much and readers didn’t seem to respond much, or only responded â€Å"great post!† it’s time to reconsider the original idea. Action: Head back to question #1. Question #4: Could You Write About It In A  Different Style? There are two styles at work in every post: your writing style, and your readers' learning styles. This provides you a huge variety of ways to write blog posts based on the same ideas. You may prefer to write in the style(s) of: Teacher Insider Outsider Expert Newbie Observer Cryptographer Convincer Your reader may prefer content that fits their propensity for: Visual learning Numbers and data Lots of text Social references (quotes, links, etc.) Action: Write the post or head on to the next question. Answer: Yes, I could mix it up a bit. You’ll naturally have one you prefer to write as, but you can force yourself to take a different style. Take your topic idea. Choose a different writing style. Wrap your head around what that will sound like. Then choose a learning style. For example, you may write as if you were a newbie relying on lots of text. The next time, you might write as an expert using lots of data. Action: Move on to the next question, or write the new post. Answer: No, I really prefer to write in my strengths. You know what? That’s perfectly fine. Writing is enough work without writing in weaknesses. If you don’t think you can write about the topic from a different approach, don’t worry about it. You have every right to maintain a consistent tone and style on your blog. Action: Move to question #7. Question #5: Could You Re-Edit It And Clean It Up? Sometimes those older posts are pretty good structurally, but they need some cleaning up. This is especially true for those massive lists of links that are such great attention-getters (â€Å"100 Best Apps For Finding Great Restaurants!†) but that age poorly. Answer: Yes, with some clean-up that post is still viable. When it comes to cleaning up a post, your focus should be on: Improving writing and grammar. (Yes, you’ve gotten better as a writer since then.) Finding and removing or replacing dead links. Updating references and data to reflect the current state of affairs. (e.g. â€Å"guest blog like crazy!† to â€Å"Matt Cutts said guest blogging is dead!†) Redoing images to fit a more current look. Remove any that might be guilty of copyright infringement. Canva and other free blog graphics tools might not have been around when you wrote the original, but they are  now! Adding expertise you’ve gained since you wrote the original post. You could rewrite the post but keep it similar in approach. Or, you could reference that old post and talk about how things have changed since then. Action: Clean up that old post, repackage it for now, and publish it new. Use a 301 redirect if the posts are highly similar. Move on to the next question. Answer: No, that post is a dog and no cleanup will help. Fair enough. Action: If the post is really bad, use the 301 redirect technique of question #1 to point it to a newer and related post on your blog (if you have one). Move on to question #9. Question #6: Could You Break It Into Pieces? If you’re doing long form posts, especially, you probably have a lot of content there that you couldn’t go into the greatest detail because, you know, 3,000 words. Breaking your original blog post into pieces means you can do that deep dive and turn one blog post into five. Answer: Yes, I could go into more detail. By breaking your blog post into detailed parts, you have the potential for creating a powerful series of content. That can be used in email autoresponder courses to help generate email sign-ups. It can be used as an ebook later. Hopefully you used a good outline and headings, because that will help in breaking up your post logically. Headings: Your headings and subheadings might be the basis for an expandable blog post. Numbered items: Your numbered items within that body content might be the basis for a list post. Questions: If you write and use questions in your body copy, find them. Can answering those questions be a post of its  own? Data: Any place you have data, charts, case study information, etc. is  a possible opportunity to expand and explain how and why. In long posts, data is often used as a proof. Going into detail is when you explain how you arrived at that data in the first place. Action: Write your new posts or head on to the next question. Answer: No, I don’t have any more detail to share. Perhaps the post was poorly structured, rambled, or carried all the detail you could possibly extract on the subject. Either way, it doesn’t seem a fit candidate for divvying up into smaller parts. Action: Move on to question #9. Question #7: Could You Write About The Post Itself? We all like a little behind the scenes. If you have a post that was successful or got a lot of buzz, would you be willing to talk about that experience? This is particularly valuable if you are in the content marketing niche. Other content marketers like to find out how you create your content. Answer: Heck yes, I’d love to share the experience. Pulling back the curtain to reveal what happened behind the scenes of a popular old post makes for a great story. In this type of approach, you’ll reveal: Your ideation, writing, and editing process. Social, comment, and direct email responses from readers (generalized, to protect their privacy). The struggles, laughs, and raging deadlines you had. Your reaction when the post became popular. What you learned from the experience. The last one, summarizing what you learned, is a very popular blog post approach. How many headlines have you seen that say â€Å"I did ____ and this is what I learned.† Action: Write the post, or move on to the next question. Answer: No. I don’t think anyone would care. I have just the site for you: Click here. Even if you don’t have a viral post or some massive 8th Wonder Of The Blogging World, your readers are probably still curious about how you work. But, if you insist no one would be interested, OK. Action: Move on to question #9. Question #8: Could You Rewrite It As A  Guest Post? You’ve done the research and the work. Why wouldn’t you extend it as a guest post? Guest blogging is still a fantastic way to take your content and get it in front of new readers. Answer: Yes, I’m into guest posts and this would work. The first thing you have to do is make certain that what you will be writing will fit the host blog’s guidelines. If they want only previously unpublished posts, you’ll need to rework it significantly so that your old post is not the same as the new one. Secondly, you’ll want to write your guest post to fit the host blog’s audience. It might not be the exact same as yours as far as their learning style or how the host blog wants posts written. Action: Write the post by reviewing question #6. Or, move on to the next question. Answer: No, I don’t do guest posts. That’s fine. Not everyone does. Action: Move on to question #9. Question #9: Can You Turn It Into A  Different Format Entirely? If you absolutely cannot write on a topic again, you’re still not off the hook. It’s now time to repurpose your blog posts. You have reached the point where you need to see your written content as visual content, or send it elsewhere to keep doing some work for you. This means you’ll take your blog post and turn it into: Infographics Slide decks Social sharing graphics Videos Podcasts Ebooks Webinars Syndication Email autoresponder course Printable worksheets That list is by no means definitive. There are many ways to repurpose content forms. Answer: Yes, this post would work well in a different format. Each blog post has an ideal repurposed format, depending on the type of post it is. We’ve identified 10 easy blog post approaches in the past, but there are so many more. Data: Blog posts with lots of data will do well as infographics, ebooks, and slide decks. How-to: Blog posts that are written as how-to posts will do well as videos, slide decks, webinars, email courses, and ebooks. Interviews: Blog posts that are interviews will do well as social graphics, with the best quotes pulled from the post for each graphic you create. If you can get the original interviewee back, a podcast would work, too. Lists: Blog posts that are lists do well as social graphics if the list items are memorable (one item per graphic). They also make great slide decks. Case studies: Case studies are great topics of conversation in a podcast or video. Stories: Blog posts heavy on narrative and â€Å"what I learned† work well as podcasts, ebooks, and videos. Reviews: Blog posts that review products or services often have a shorter shelf life and aren’t as evergreen. Used quickly enough while still relevant, they make a great video (especially if you demo the product). Updates on an earlier review are always possible. Checklists: These types of blog posts work well with ebooks, infographics, and worksheets. See what you can make of your post. By creating these alternate forms of your written content, you’re pointing people back to the original post in a new way. Answer: No, I’m done. Time to get started brainstorming and find brand new ideas. You’ve worn out the idea and squeezed the last drop of content out of it. Good job! Don't forget to get your own map of these questions to simply