Erica Olsen’s strategic planning savvy led to authoring a book under the famous Dummies brand.

Story by: Linda Fine
Photography by Alicia Santistevan
The Business Report of Northern Nevada
http://www.nevadabusinessreport.com/stories/html/2006/11/27/190.php

While not a household phrase to be sure,
strategic planning is certainly an important concept in the world of
business, and one woefully neglected by most entrepreneurs.

“You
wouldn’t go on a trip without a plan,” says management consultant and
author Erica Olsen. “Nor should business owners run a business without
a plan. It’s unthinkable.” Such is the essence of Olsen’s new book,
“Strategic Planning for Dummies,” a book inspired by her work as a
partner in M3 Planning.

To be sure, most businesses have a plan —
but it’s in the heads of the company’s key personnel. “Strategic
planning makes our business activities more intentional so employees
can help you move the business forward,” Olsen says. Fundamentally,
people think it’s hard and that it takes too much time.

According
to Olsen, a long-time Reno resident, a strategic plan should cut to the
chase, unlike the more familiar business plan often prepared solely for
banks or investors. A good plan answers the what, when, why, where and
how questions, serving as a road map to achieve a specific vision.

Olsen
holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nevada,
Reno, and a master’s degree from the Thunderbird Graduate School of
International Management. She’s frequently tapped to lecture at UNR and
the University of Phoenix in Reno on management and planning topics.

Local clientele 8

Her
company powers Web-based planning systems that help organizations
develop and manage their strategic plans. Clients include the Economic
Development Authority of Western Nevada, Girl Scouts of America, Erlach
Computer Consulting and Washoe County.

Olsen says EDAWN is a good example of an organization with a vision and the tenacity to stick to it.

“Our
relationship with Erica and her company began about two years ago,”
says Gail Conkey, EDAWN’s director of operations. At the outset, Conkey
says, Olsen created a strategy map revealing the initiatives and
tactics needed to clarify ongoing projects. “It started with people and
ended with our core mission. People are a company’s most important
asset,” says Conkey. “Sometimes people are forgotten — you can never
forget the employees.”

Conkey heartily endorses Olsen’s
expertise. “Her ability to look holistically at our organization took
us to the next level in terms of achieving our goals.”

A speedy deadline 8

From
strategic planner to first-time author was a serendipitous path, Olsen
says. A chance meeting with another Dummies author led to a contract
with Wiley Publishing Co., the caveat being that the book needed to be
written in just one year. It was a speedy deadline for sure, Olsen
says, explaining that turnaround time for this type book generally is
much longer.

Nevertheless, the idea became reality; the paperback
is available for purchase at various local booksellers including Barnes
& Noble, Borders and Amazon.com for $21.99.

While the average
first printing is usually 5,000 books, 10,000 copies of “Strategic
Planning for Dummies” initially hit the bookshelves. In addition to a
$10,000 advance, Olsen gets 12 percent of each book sold.

“It’s a
lot of work for not a lot of money,” Olsen. “But it’s not about the
money; it’s about the recognition being a published author with a main
publishing house brings you.”

Olsen adds that her company
recently developed a Web-based strategic planning approach to support
the book — mystrategicplan.com. “The book works with the system. It’s
easier to put a plan together and execute it if you have technology
that supports it,” she says.

Anticipating her readers will
include business owners, managers, department heads and non-profit
organizations among others, Olsen says anyone who doesn’t have a
strategy department will benefit. “Having a strategic plan gets you
from A to B faster. It’s all about using the resources you have to be
more effective.”