Ken Bator has over two decades of experience in helping organizations to save money, to make money and to thrive. Over his career as a management and marketing expert he has served as an executive of three different financial institutions throughout the country and has assisted several small to medium-sized businesses to reach new levels of effectiveness and revenue.
Ken Bator has facilitated several training and strategic planning sessions for many organizations since 2001. He is also a co-founder of the Police Officers’ Credit Union Conference. Bator has earned a BS in Finance and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from DePaul University as well as a Certificate in Integrated Marketing from the University of Chicago. His articles have appeared in many trade publications including The Credit Union Journal and ABA Bank Marketing. Bator is the author of both The Pocket Guide to Strategic Planning: The 90-Day Quick Fix for the Business Owner or Manager and The Strategic Planning Workbook and Guide for Financial Institutions.
Specialties: Strategic Planning
Branding
Culture Enhancement
Team Building
Marketing
Business Development
Small Business Management & Consulting
Merchant Services
Social Media
Loyalty Programs
Public Speaking
Seminars
Unless the plan is founded on a product or service that needs to be patented, I would seek a second set of eyes that you trust. That very well may be your local small business office. They would approach your business plan with your best interests in mind and give you some tips on how best to begin implementing the plan. The latter almost always needs to be that next step after that second set of eyes.
The most important thing I would ask is who have you worked with and can I speak with your references. What their current and former clients say will speak volumes.
If I am clueless about my company brand, or branding in general, I would want to know from their clients how they felt about the firm's process in uncovering the current brand essence.
If I have a good handle on my company brand I would want to know how they enhanced their clients' current image and uncovered untapped elements of their brand drivers.