Over 1,100 entries in 54 categories were received and although many finalists were from the United States, the international competition was strong with other finalists hailing from Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada and the United States.

Both the Best New Product and Website of the Year were developed and managed by women employed by M3 Planning.  The website was developed and designed by Michael-Anne Hougland and Kim Perkins, with assistance from Cara Montoya and Shannon Forster.  The 2009 upgrade of MyStrategicPlan was a collaboration of work between Nancy Olsen, Vanessa Lindeberg, Erica Olsen and Hougland.

For Best New Product, the M3 Planning’s 2009 version of MyStrategicPlan was chosen for providing increased user functionality with guidance videos and tutorials.   Over 800 companies, non-profit organizations and municipalities use the web-based strategic planning software to help them guide their strategic development and execution.  Initially launched in 2003, this year’s version improvements included a professional line of automatic strategic reports, performance management reviews and a “drag-and-drop” functionality that keeps strategic actions properly categorized.

As consultants to develop Alaska’s North Slope Borough School District strategic plan, M3 Planning quickly realized that communicating and executing a unified plan would hold unique challenges.  The district’s geographic isolation, along with fragmented travel options between villages, warranted the development of a web site that would be instrumental in increasing information flows and to teachers, students and the community-at-large.  As a finalist for Website of the Year, NSBSD.ORG now unites the 11 schools and 8 villages, greatly improving the pace of educational and Inupiat cultural exchanges throughout the expansive district.

“In this economic environment, we are so pleased that our service remains relevant for our clients.  We have a great team here at M3 Planning, many of whom just happen to be women who are incredible at balancing work and family.” credits Nancy Olsen, VP of Business Development.   “It’s nice to have this recognition at a national level.”

About M3 Planning:

M3Planning is a company dedicated to help organizations become more directed and aware of its factors for success.  Services are delivered from their award-winning web-based strategic planning software (Best New Product, 2008 Stevie Awards) and through strategic planning consultation that leaves organization more aligned with their resources to make the biggest impact possible.

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According to (need source), since the onset of the current global economic crisis, businesses are on average spending more of their time executing their strategies than before the economic downturn began. According to M3 Planning Founder, Erica Olsen, the Strategy Huddle™ is meant to make that time count. “With so many companies more concerned with becoming effective at executing their corporate strategies, our team decided to create an avenue for leaders and experts to solve problems together in order to reach conclusions faster.”

As the second of the monthly huddles nears, Olsen says that this next month’s meeting will build on the success of the first. “We were all surprised with the enthusiasm and depth of questions at our last huddle. We ended up connecting with strategy leaders from all over the country, from both public and private organizations, and from businesses small to large in size.”

Says Olsen, the last huddle addressed a variety of questions asked by participants, covering how to ensure that organization leadership commits to buying into and engaging corporate strategy, to overcoming the obstacles presented by executing strategy in a constantly changing environment.

According to Olsen, another reason that M3 Planning decided to host the huddle is that too many businesses miss the excitement of strategy and execution, getting bogged down in their day to day problems that could be solved in such a forum. “We organized this online environment in order to bring together leaders and experts who can build on their collective experience in order to save each other time in executing strategy within their organizations.”

Olsen says that the hour-long huddles consist of questions posed by participants, which are then answered by resident strategy experts in real-time. In order to submit a question and register for a spot within the huddle, participants need to register online before spaces are filled.

About the Strategy Huddle™

Huddle up for the Strategy & Execution Training generated by participants, for participants. Once a month, the M3 Team answers real-world questions, handles high-level strategy issues, and shares best practices on strategy, execution, planning and using MyStrategicPlan. This dynamic 60-minute session is an opportunity for business leaders to learn and share new ideas. Participants who sign up can submit their questions ahead of time or ask them live.

About M3 Planning

M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations.

About MyStrategicPlan

MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) November 6, 2009 — Middle Eastern business leaders have tapped global strategic planning experts from Nevada-based M3 Planning to lead a summit on strategic corporate planning, aimed at strengthening the long-term economic strength of some of the largest organizations in their region. From November 16 to 17 of this year executives from throughout the region will gather at the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel in Manama, Bahrain for training to better equip their organizations to evaluate current opportunities and align organizational objectives toward corporate vision and missions.

Strategy Expert and Author Erica Olsen

According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund, the current global financial crisis has contributed to a slowdown in oil revenues in the Middle East throughout the current year. Though the region has tapped into profits from previous years in order to weather the economic downturn, regional leaders have decided to take action by holding this unique summit with strategic planning specialists from M3 Planning.

Although this region was buffered from some of the crisis, these organizations are concerned with sustainable strategies to carry forth well after the economic crisis is over.

Summit presenter Erica Olsen says that organizations in the Middle East have developed a sense of urgency around planning. “Although this region was buffered from some of the crisis, these organizations are concerned with sustainable strategies to carry forth well after the economic crisis is over.”

Participants for training include executives from some of the largest companies of the region, such as Al Muhaidib Group, Saudi Cable Company, United Gulf Bank, Najran Cement Company, Aluminium Bahrain, Ministry of Housing and Bank Sohar.

Topics covered in this summit include: re-shaping organizations’ strategic plans to be on par with their proposed direction, designing and developing a strategic plan towards realization of corporate vision and mission, thriving in times of constraint through alternative growth strategies and aligning business plans toward complementing strategic plans.

Olsen, having recently also lead a summit for executives in Dubai as well, says that M3 Planning is proud to be selected to lead this summit. “Our team is excited to assist business leaders in Bahrain, and we share the excitement and interest in the region’s long-term success.”

About Erica Olsen Through M3 Planning’s online client base and on-site strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including Strategic Planning for Dummies and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

About M3 Planning M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, MyStrategicPlan.com, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations

About Marcus Evans Events Marcus Evans specializes in the research and development of strategic events for senior business executives. From their international network of 63 offices, Marcus Evans produces over 1000 days of events each year on strategic issues in corporate finance, telecommunications, technology, health, transportation, capital markets, human resources and business improvement.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) October 21, 2009 — Strategic planning and implementation are universally accepted as cornerstones to competing in business, but they are not universally understood. With the pressures brought by a national recession and a dramatically high failure rate for strategic initiatives, there has never been a better time to seek advice from experts, and now there has never a better time to get it. Beginning Oct. 28, and continuing monthly, the strategy experts at MyStrategicPlan.com will be presenting a free, live, one-hour online strategy and execution training session called Strategy Huddle, where the subject matter is chosen by the audience. Targeted towards anyone who deals with business strategy, this rare opportunity for expert advice on real-world problems is expected to fill up fast.

As the scores of business graduates, entrepreneurs and managers who attempt daily to tackle strategic implementation know, guiding any organization through planning and execution is rife with pitfalls and roadblocks that continually put experience, patience and creativity to the test. As indicated in a recent study completed by Forbes Insights and FD in conjunction with the Association for Strategic Planning and the Council of Public Relations Firms, one third of all corporate strategies fail, and most of them do so as a result of foreseeable problems. With so many failed initiatives plaguing businesses, strategic planning expert Erica Olsen decided something needed to be done to bring answers and experience to those who need it now.

While change agents and managers strive to implement strategic objectives, Olsen says that many run into frustrations and obstacles that they don’t have to. “The whole reason for our Strategy Huddles is to share our experience and the variety of our perspectives, as well as to give business people the closest thing to getting one-on-one training to deal with their individual issues.” Olsen describes M3 Planning’s Strategy Huddle as a combination of lecture, think-tank and coaching session.

According to Olsen, many managers and business owners don’t engage in strategic planning enough, or don’t have the help they need to see it through to implementation. “Commonly this is either because they face lack of buy-in, or they run into communication problems, or they just don’t see the pitfalls because they haven’t encountered them before.” In order to remedy this, Olsen suggests engagement with others who have greater experience in guiding organizations through the process of drafting, deciding on and executing strategy in many different environments. “By participating in our Strategy Huddle,” says Olsen, “managers will be able to get that experience from their own desks.”

What makes M3 Planning’s Strategy Huddle so unique, says Olsen, is the combination of expert advice from a variety of disciplines, and the intimacy of nearly one-on-one contact via the internet. “We’re bringing together professors, consultants and the developers who have worked on MyStrategicPlan, the premier web-based strategic planning application, and we’re making them available to anyone at any level.” According to Olsen, the diversity of perspectives, combined with a wealth of experience as well as the real-time connectivity provided by the internet will allow her team to help more people than ever before. “We’ll be pulling from such a vast pool of knowledge to tackle real world questions, address high-level strategy, as well as share strategic planning best practices that span multiple industries.”

In order to participate in the free training sessions, users can sign up for free at MyStrategicPlan.com . Attendees will be able to submit their questions ahead of time as well. Though the sessions take part over the internet, Olsen stresses that attendance is limited in order to make sure that all participants’ questions are addressed.

About MyStrategicPlan MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

About M3 Planning M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations.

About Erica Olsen Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including “Strategic Planning for Dummies” and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) October 2, 2009 – With little end of the US recession in sight, business owners across all industries are finding less time for  performance management and strategic management and instead focusing on short term survival, calling into question the relevance of strategic planning in an anemic economy. According to management experts, this illogical behavior will not only cause businesses to miss out on opportunities, it undermines the very livelihood they are attempting to maintain through such short term tactics.

During the earlier days of the current US economic crisis, economists and financial pundits debated about whether the country was indeed heading towards a recession, and how long that any such slump would last. Some predicted that the country would not, in fact, suffer such a succession of negative quarters, and that businesses and individuals needed not worry about surviving months or even years of economic hardship. Others on the other end of the spectrum called for businesses to tighten belts, make hard decisions and prepare for the worst.

Now that the country has spent more than a year enduring layoffs, government bailouts and the havoc that has been wrecked upon the credit market, many forecasters predict an even longer financial winter is upon us. In light of this, many businesses are forgoing long-term thinking and planning, and instead focusing just on today. Is survival the new goal for business, or does strategic planning still hold the same importance that it did before famine set itself upon the US markets?

I’m Too Busy

When consumers are not spending and money is tight, competition is increased, while at the same time additional staff is a luxury many businesses can’t afford. This effect, which causes many managers to spread themselves and their staff thin, endangers their long-term goals, says management expert Erica Olsen, of M3 Planning, consultants and developers of the strategic planning and implementation application, MyStrategicPlan.com. “A lot of managers are complaining that they don’t have time to plan,” says Olsen, “but the reality is that you can’t afford not to take the time to plan.”

According to Olsen, strategic planning is even more of a necessity during a time of economic famine than during times of feasting. “Inefficiencies can go unnoticed when demand is high, but when your industry is fighting over fewer customers who are spending less, all of your imperfections become more threatening to your business.” Olsen goes on to explain that through thorough environmental scanning- an essential part of the strategic planning process, threats and opportunities can not only be identified but also capitalized on.

We Might Not Be Around In Six Months

Just making it this far through the recession doesn’t guarantee success, as many businesses are continuing to file for bankruptcy or quit operations completely. With so many stories of failure, Olsen says that many business owners she has counseled have admitted feeling like giving up. “When faced with a manger who says they don’t want to plan because they don’t think the company will make it, I respond saying that’s not the thinking that got you where you are. ” Olsen says that while these feelings are natural, they aren’t necessarily productive. By attacking the problem and making plans to dig out of the hole, managers can regain their positive outlook and chip away at the stress and depression that navigating a company through a recession can bring. “Strategic planning, and even more specifically recession planning is exactly what someone in this situation needs because they finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

There is No Telling When this May End

Protesting the idea of strategic planning, other managers will claim that the uncertainty of the recession negates strategic planning. In response to this, Olsen cites the benefits of strategic planning and recession planning and their application to uncertain times. “Turbulent times are exactly the reason to plan,” says Olsen, “because strategic planning allows faster decision making, better management of resources, and a flexible framework that can adjust far faster than your completion can draft a course of action.” Right now, according to Olsen, both strategic planning and more specifically recession planning are of the essence. For assistance in strategic or recession planning, Olsen advises organization to consider M3 Planning’s web application and resource center at www.mystrategicplan.com.

About MyStrategicPlan

MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

About M3 Planning

M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations.

About Erica Olsen

Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including Strategic Planning for Dummies and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

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M3 Planning’s Recession Planning Toolkit

As profits from US companies have climbed for the second consecutive quarter, Bloomberg.com relays that economists have declared the US is poised for a possible end to the recession. According to Olsen, this could prove troubling for some companies who may feel they are responding exactly how they should to the current economic crisis. “Many of the actions that companies are taking now to combat the recession could actually hurt them if they don’t prepare for recovery,” says Olsen, “and they need to make plans now to make sure they’ll be prepared when the clouds part.”

By now, nearly every American has in some way experienced the effects of the recession. Organizations across every industry, both public and private have all been forced to adjust to tighter resources and fiercer competition. As businesses have seen lower earnings, management has needed to make tough decisions including layoffs, benefit cuts, closing locations and other cost-cutting measures that have had impact on their organizations’ direction. With so many management decisions being focused on survival, Olsen says that being stuck in the trenches isn’t preparing these companies for recovery as well as they may think. Says Olsen, “These organizations will need to be ready to change certain habits as the economy heats back up.”

According to Olsen, organizations need to include recovery into their recession plans, citing the benefits of look in terms longer than the current slump. “Cutting costs may have made organizations more disciplined than they were in times of surplus, but once consumers are spending again cost-cutting won’t help organizations meet rising demand. Olsen says that organizations need to be ready to invest into their businesses again. “Once spending begins climbing again, companies who have saved earnings due to their cost-cutting measures will be able to take advantage of opportunities even before the credit industry thaws.”

Olsen’s suggestion for insuring against the shock of recovery is better planning. As author of “Strategic Planning for Dummies,” and VP for the strategic planning consultants at M3 Planning, Olsen has years of experience in looking forward. “Right now,” she says, “companies can poise themselves to take advantage of the recovery, rather than being set back.” Olsen’s company recently published the popular recession planning toolkit titled, “Strategy on a Shoestring” on their site www.mystrategicplan.com.

In addition, she points to MyStrategicPlan as a powerful tool for preparing for the future. The site is a web based application that guides organizations through developing and implementing their plans. Olsen says that many organizations can build their plans using MyStrategicPlan in as little as one day, depending on their size and complexity. M3 Planning suggests that users read through their recession planning kit before starting their plans, in order to utilize both tools together.

About MyStrategicPlan MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

About M3 Planning M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations.

About Erica Olsen Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including “Strategic Planning for Dummies” and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) August 16, 2009 – More than half-way through 2009, many managers, executives and business owners may be thinking that their lack of a clear recession plan is not hurting their business. According to Strategic Planning Expert and Speaker Erica Olsen, not only is that a danger, it is one that should and can be remedied quickly. Businesses that begin charting their path out of the recession now have a leg up on the competition, says Olsen, so getting started now is imperative. So, the question is, what are you waiting for?

M3 Planning’s Recession Planning Toolkit

While many fail to see danger in sticking to day-to-day tactics, Olsen believes trouble lurks. “Sure, you made it a year and a half through the recession without a plan, but there’s no concrete consensus on when this global economic crisis will end; can you really expect to keep scraping by for another year, or two, or five?” Olsen, a veteran of the strategic planning field with years of consulting and teaching under her belt, and even a tech start-up that built the first and only fully automated web-based strategic planning solution in use today, knows strategy. Her company, M3 Planning, produced a recession planning toolkit when economists were first claiming the country may be heading towards the “r-word.”

Never Say Die

According to Olsen, “it’s never too late to create your plan; if you’ve found yourself recently thinking that it’s time to get serious about this, you’re not by yourself.” M3 Planning continues to guide more and more clients through not only the strategic planning process, but also through adjusting existing plans to take into account the crisis that has assaulted the world economy over the last year and a half. Companies who plan, says Olsen, have a much better chance to make it through the recession because of the tools they have at their disposal. “Companies who take the time to create a recession plan now have the means to better evaluate their opportunities and threats, and can more quickly respond to each one they encounter.” What Next

For organizations that have strategic business plans, but haven’t updated them in the last year, Olsen says the best next step is to begin updating the plan’s environmental scan. The environmental scan holds all data covering external opportunities and threats that are important to the organization. “So much has changed in the last year,” says Olsen, “from competitors collapsing to new opportunities appearing to capitalize on, that it is best to list all of these so you can determine how these may affect your objectives.” Olsen says that conducting a new SWOT analysis, and then identifying what new items the analysis brings up will give organizations an idea of where to make changes.

Even if an organization doesn’t have a realistic, useful strategic plan, Olsen says that there is still good news. “Situations like this present a bright side, in that these organizations can start from scratch, incorporating their recession plan into their overall strategic plan.”

Tools are Available

In order to streamline the planning process and pick up immediate guidance, Olsen directs organizations to M3 Planning’s free online recession planning toolkit. “We produced this kit primarily as a module of sorts that organizations could use to adjust their plan,” says Olsen, “but it can be used as a starting point for anyone who wants to strategically address the current economic crisis and what it means for their organization.” The toolkit contains articles, directories of services, as well as worksheets and tools for decision making and aiding in strategic planning.

In addition to the recession planning toolkit, Olsen’s company also developed the web application MyStrategicPlan, which guides organizations through developing and implementing their plans. Olsen says that many organizations can build their plans using MyStrategicPlan in as little as one day, depending on their size and complexity. M3 Planning suggests that users read through their recession planning kit before starting their plans, in order to utilize both tools together.

About MyStrategicPlan MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

About M3 Planning M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations.

About Erica Olsen Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including “Strategic Planning for Dummies” and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) July 30, 2009 — Business people may have forgotten the art of crafting a useful strategic business plan, says author and strategic planning expert, but that might not be such a bad thing. With more and more MBA’s and business school graduates pouring out of universities nation-wide, you may think it would be easy to expect any number of employees to be able to craft a strategic plan, but Erica Olsen, VP of Marketing for M3 Planning says that more and more companies are unclear about how to go about writing one. “We’re constantly encountering companies that are either lacking the knowledge or the time to create a plan, and we want to make that irrelevant.”

Olsen’s company, M3 Planning, recently developed MyStrategicPlan, an online application that teaches companies how to build strategic business plans and allows them to manage them throughout the year from anywhere in the world. According to Olsen, experience is no longer necessary. “With the introduction of the latest version,” says Olsen, “it doesn’t matter if you’ve never touched a plan or seen one made; you can still develop one and use it to drive your company towards success.”

Like Having a Consultant with You Day and Night

Olsen’s web app, MyStrategicPlan, teaches users how to develop strategic plans literally without any prior knowledge of the process. “We’ve designed our system to act much like a consultant, so that users always feel guided throughout the process.” In addition, Olsen says that MyStrategicPlan’s resources have been bolstered even more by the most recent release. Upon setting up an account, users are immediately treated with video tutorials, step-by-step instructions, live webinars and even glossaries of business terms to bring up to speed those who may not already be immersed in business-speak.

Olsen says that using MyStrategicPlan to write a strategic business plan is much like having a professional strategist as part of the team but at a tiny fraction of the cost. “Our team that developed MyStrategicPlan contains consultants, academics and entrepreneurs; all of us understand the pitfalls of writing strategic plans as well as what makes great plans work.” As users make their way through MyStrategicPlan, the information they are asked to input is then placed structurally within the framework Olsen’s team has designed through years of real-world consulting. With the introduction of the software’s latest version, elements can be easily dragged and dropped to alter plans at any time, and terms can be customized to match a particular organization’s already established taxonomy.

Make a Plan that Actually Works and Keep it Working

In addition to guiding users through building a plan, MyStrategicPlan contains tools like professional reports and email reminders to ensure that plans are implemented. “Strategy’s number one obstacle is lack of action,” says Olsen, “which is why MyStrategicPlan was built to remain fully and easily editable by everyone involved.” In order to make certain that plans do not collect dust, every member with a login is able to create their own tasks and update their progress so that reports are always kept up to date. In addition, other performance management features include users’ ability to view all of the tasks throughout the organization in which they are involved.

MyStrategicPlan’s varied user base includes organizations ranging from large corporations boasting thousands of employees to sole proprietorships, since plans can either remain smaller, or adjust in order to match the complexity of larger corporate structures. Because users can complete their plan in as little as a day, thousands of organizations have been able to benefit from the increased employee loyalty, faster decision making and greater sense of direction and consensus that strategic planning brings, without the help of consultants or full-time strategy officers.

About MyStrategicPlan

MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

About M3 Planning

M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations.

About Erica Olsen

Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including “Strategic Planning for Dummies” and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) July 17, 2009 – In the age of instant information via Google, and amidst economic uncertainty and nation-wide budget cuts, how can public libraries remain relevant sources of information? According to strategy expert Erica Olsen, there’s hope for these struggling beacons of knowledge, and by embracing new technology, as well as informing the public of major changes that libraries have already adopted, they have a promising future especially during tough economic times.

Like parks and other public benefits, Libraries are feeling the effects of the economic downturn. As the current economic crisis continues to squeeze budgets, libraries across the country are starting to shorten hours, close locations and, fortunately, begin taking steps to reclaim their communities. Where they begin, according to Erica Olsen of M3 Planning and MyStrategicPlan.com, is by employing the same strategic business planning that is currently at use in the private sector.

Our libraries, after taking stock of their current strategic position, have begun scanning their external environment and gathering information through community discussions.

We all love our library

but even some of our team was surprised to learn about all that they already provide for us.

For us, it’s like using Netflix for free, and you get to check out three or four times as many selections at a time.

We don’t even have to go to different locations

We just choose what we want and the library ships it to the closest one to wait for us.

Most people don’t even know that the library provides things like that

they even offer free downloads of music and audio books over the internet.

Especially during tough economic times like these

we all want to save money, and right now the library is the perfect place for it.

According to Olsen, whose company M3 Planning is working with the Washoe County Library System in Northern Nevada, libraries already have a wealth to offer, and the first step is engaging their communities in discussion. “Our libraries, after taking stock of their current strategic position, have begun scanning their external environment and gathering information through community discussions.” Olsen says that the library will be using the feedback they receive in order to choose which opportunities to pursue as part of their current business strategy.

Informing the public is also a major part of the current strategy the library system is pursuing. “We all love our library,” says Olsen, “but even some of our team was surprised to learn about all that they already provide for us.” One underused area that surprised her team was the library’s vast collection of DVDs. In Washoe, as in many libraries across the country, members can check out movies and television series’ for weeks at a time, at no cost. “For us, it’s like using Netflix for free, and you get to check out three or four times as many selections at a time.” Employees at M3 have been seen with stacks of movies, and can be heard frequently amazed at how fantastic the service is from the library. “We don’t even have to go to different locations,” says Olsen, “We just choose what we want and the library ships it to the closest one to wait for us.”

Technologically-focused services like that, says Olsen, are going to be key to relating to the current generation of members. “Most people don’t even know that the library provides things like that,” she continues, “they even offer free downloads of music and audio books over the internet.” M3 Planning’s team believes that if more people within the 20-40 year old age group learn that libraries offer so many more things that support their lifestyle, that people will begin flocking there again. “Especially during tough economic times like these,” says Olsen, “we all want to save money, and right now the library is the perfect place for it.”

Not only are libraries getting the word out about their tech services, but they’re also embracing new ways to communicate with the public online. The Washoe County Library System has developed a page on Facebook.com to link up with locals, and also plans on utilizing the popular messaging client Twitter.com to keep users informed of events and promotions, as well as field questions. Gone, they say, are the days of the “stuffy librarian.” In addition, many libraries around the country are weaving in text messaging and email to alert members when books are available for pickup, or are approaching the dreaded “overdue” status.

Along with the feedback they receive from upcoming community discussions, as well as from their online presence, Erica Olsen and her team believe that the Washoe County Library System and others who are following suit will thrive during these tough economic times.

About M3 Planning

M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, MyStrategicPlan, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops and facilitations. MyStrategicPlan is an easy-to-use software application that enables any organization, regardless of size and budget, to build a comprehensive plan, effectively and easily track goals, create professional reports for every stakeholder and monitor implementation all year long.

About Erica Olsen

Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including Strategic Planning for Dummies and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

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Reno, NV (PRWEB) June 25, 2009 – After capturing top honors in 5th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business earlier this year, M3 Planning’s MyStrategicPlan online strategic planning software was recognized as a finalist for “Favorite Software – New Version” in The 2009 American Business Awards on Monday night.

American Business Awards

Favorite Software – New Version

Our nomination in the first place was such a pleasure

and being named as a finalist alongside such talent was quite an accomplishment.

The awards were presented during ceremonies at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The ceremonies were hosted by Cheryl Casone of Fox Business Network and broadcast nationwide on radio by the Business TalkRadio Network.

Stevie Awards were presented in over 40 categories including Best Overall Company of the Year, Executive of the Year, and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year. More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration. More than 200 executives across the country participated in the judging process to determine the Finalists and Stevie Award winners.

VP of Marketing Erica Olsen said that every member of M3 Planning was honored to be counted among the other distinguished finalists. “Our nomination in the first place was such a pleasure,” says Olsen, “and being named as a finalist alongside such talent was quite an accomplishment.” According to Olsen, 2008 saw a bevy of advances for the company’s strategic business planning software, and this next year the company will be rolling out many more new features as well.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists and Stevie Award winners are available at the Stevies website.

About M3 Planning M3 Planning is a strategic planning firm that works with growth-oriented organizations to develop and execute their strategic plans. In addition to their online strategic planning system, the company is also a resource for other strategic planning tools, books, articles, workshops, and facilitations.

About Erica Olsen Through M3 Planning’s online client base and onsite strategic planning facilitation work, Erica Olsen has developed and reviewed hundreds of strategic plans for organizations across the country. She has also authored several strategic planning books including Strategic Planning for Dummies and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by The Business Report of Northern Nevada in 2007.

About The Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring companies of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide

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