This week, I’ve got a question for you…

What is one of the critical differences between successful businesses owners and unsuccessful businesses owners?

It’s not how much money they start with, or where they come from.

It’s not their level of education.

It’s not who they know.

The majority of truly successful business owners have one thing in common…They are really good at deciding exactly what it is they want. Then creating a detailed plan for getting it and putting that plan into action.

You see, successful people don’t just wait around for things to start happening…They make things happen. And not just any old things…The right things.

That’s why, last week, I talked about the power of creating and writing down clear, well-defined intentions or goals for your business.

If you’ve already done that, congratulations! Just taking that one simple step is often enough to get you moving down the right path.

But here’s the catch…If you really want to achieve success quickly, you have to do more than just set clear goals or intentions (A la The Secret). You need to come up with a doable plan for achieving them.

Now I’m not saying you have to spend weeks creating a 30-page business or marketing plan (though that’s a good idea in some situations). But you do need to have a well-thought out, written plan of action.

So, in order to help you do just that, I’m going to take you through a simplified version of the process I use to create highly-effective Marketing Success Action Plans for my clients…

Let’s say you want to grow your business by 30% next year.

Start by listing three objectives, or targets, you could hit that would let you reach that goal. I don’t advise choosing more than three unless you’ve got people to help you. Otherwise you can get overwhelmed and never get anything done. Fewer than three is fine. For example, you could decide to increase return visits by 10%, attract 20 new customers per month, and develop new products or services to generate an additional $X a year.

Whatever you choose, always give yourself specific numbers, or targets, to hit. That way you have benchmarks you can refer to later to make sure your plan is working.

Next, come up with one strategy for achieving each of your objectives. More if you have fewer than three objectives.

Say you want to increase return visits. A good strategy could be to send out a regular newsletter to your current clients. Or a series of follow up mailings.

Now, make a checklist of all the steps you need to take in order to put each of your strategies into action. Whatever you do, don’t skip this part…It’s critical.

So to start a print newsletter, at minimum you’re going to need to: pick a marketing angle, come up with a name, decide how often you want it to go out, write or get content, purchase a template or hire a graphic designer, choose a printer, find a mailing house, compile your client database and get the whole thing put together and out the door.

Finally, create a detailed timeline with deadlines to get it all done.

Whew! Now you have a goal, and a plan reach it. And you can start taking action by checking things off of your new to-do list.

Of course, don’t forget that some plans are going to be easier to implement, and/or more effective, than others. So take your time researching options and choosing strategies. Better yet, unless you really know your stuff, consider hiring a professional to help you make the best decisions for your business and your goals.

Remember, this is the blueprint for your future success. It’s worth the extra effort!

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About The Author: Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas, founder of SuccessStream Sales & Marketing Solutions, specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. She's the author of the 2-page marketing plan workbook Putting Your Business on the Road to Success, and The Small Business Website Bible. Stacy also writes the fun and informative Marketing Junkie blog and Bright Ideas weekly newsletter. For more practical, business-building wisdom help yourself to a copy of her free report The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins... Are You Guilty?