For entrepreneurs, a marketing plan is an essential resource, as it outlines the new venture's approach to attracting potential customers and convincing them to buy the products or services. It can also be used to obtain funding from investors.

Entrepreneurs rely on marketing plans to quantify expected marketing goals and results and provide a reference point for the organization; they also offer structure and direction for the marketing effort. In addition, a marketing plan can be employed to communicate marketing strategy and objectives to others in the organization.

When starting a new venture or business, there is a sequential process that you can follow to help you stay on course. This process can be broken down into eight stages, starting with discovery and ending with implementation.   

Much of the entrepreneurial process is focused on developing a product or service and planning how to successfully introduce it into the marketplace. To do this successfully, you need strong leadership in place. Leadership is particularly central to Stage Four: Strategic Planning, in which the vision for the venture is established.

This week, Skye Learning is spotlighting Debbie Nguyen, a subject matter expert featured in Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations, available now on Skye!

Debbie Nguyen has nearly a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. Currently, she is Director of Planning & Operations for Foster America, Youth Leadership Program Director for ASPIRE: Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence, and a grants writer for Positive Tracks. Through ASPIRE, Nguyen helps mentor and tutor Asian-American high school girls. Prior to this, as College Success Director at Let’s Get Ready, Nguyen served hundreds of low-income high school seniors preparing for college.

Leadership and ethical conduct go hand in hand. Principled leaders demand principled behavior. In turn, ethical behavior is a foundation of effective leadership.

When it comes to organizational ethics, it starts at the top. No organization can achieve a sustainable ethical culture without senior management setting the example and leading the way.

Jim Stewart, PMP^® and CSM^®, is a project manager with over twenty years of experience who has overseen multi-million dollar international programs. A consultant, trainer, and mentor, Stewart helps organizations incorporate best practices, set up project management offices, run project planning workshops, and more.

Stewart is also a subject matter expert for Skye Learning’s PMP^® Exam Prep Course and CAPM^® Exam Prep Course, which prepare learners to pass the exams while providing all required professional development units (PDUs).

Nonprofit leaders can employ the strategic planning process to keep the organization focused on its mission and goals. Strategic plans can be helpful in anticipating and responding to changes, building consensus within the organization, and keeping the operations of the nonprofit aligned with its mission. For example, leaders can target spending only on those programs and projects that are identified as vital, and they can link fundraising and applications for grants to the nonprofit's strategic vision.

Jo Budzilowicz is Vice President of Development at The Documentary Group (TDG) in New York City, where she oversees all projects in development, supports the company’s high-level strategy, and establishes creative partnerships. She also appears as a subject matter expert in Skye Learning’s new Certificate in Leadership for Women in Business.

Budzilowicz has a wide range of experience within the film industry, from production to post-production to development. Prior to her work at TDG, she contributed to projects like the feature film Foreign Letters and the TV documentary special Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again. Today, she oversees the development of premium documentaries for PBS, CNN, Netflix, Quibi, and more.

This week, Skye Learning is spotlighting CL Tian, a subject matter expert who appears in Skye’s Conversion Rate Optimization and Digital Marketing Strategy courses.

CL Tian is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship who focuses on strategy, technology, and design for early- and growth-stage companies. She is also the founder of PINKOA, a Boston-based digital marketing firm. PINKOA helps its customers achieve their business growth goals and adapt to the latest consumer behavior using the most relevant cross-channel, multi-channel, and touch-point digital marketing strategies.

Amanda Chase is a Senior Business Analyst, Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP), and Six Sigma Green Belt with a master’s degree in project management. Skye Learning was thrilled to include Chase’s expert insight in its new course, Introduction to Business Analysis, launching soon on Skye!

Chase has over ten years of analysis and project management experience. She has worked “smack dab” in the middle of operations for various industries, participating on teams and initiatives from a wide range of sizes alongside subject matter experts from both IT and business.

People disagree; it's simply human nature. But learning how to settle disagreements does not come naturally to everyone. 

There are multiple avenues available to people who are seeking to settle a dispute or conflict. According to the American Bar Association, there are 22 different methods of dispute resolution commonly in use. The ABA's number may seem higher than what many other authorities cite because it includes several legal methods and strategies that would typically be grouped together under the single heading of "Sue the Bastards!"