Hi Mike,

Thanks.... That was one of those posts which can cause you to rethink you're whole approach to everything!

I know about strategy.... But what your post made clear to me is that I'm not really applying what I know!

One thing which used to confuse me on this topic was what seems to be a difference between military and business strategy. In military strategy, you usually have a clear "enemy", and you also have to consider the physical environment and geography. For example, the fact that the Confederate South was reliant on its sea ports (a fact determined by geography), helped to determine General Winfield Scott's strategy.

In business, the main factors are your target market and your competitors. What do your target market want, and what are they getting already (and NOT yet getting) from your competitors? These factors will help determine your strategy....

Mike, how do you think we should go about creating a good strategy for our business? I've never seen it this way before, but after reading your post I realize a "business plan" is essentially an outline of a "business strategy"... I've created one business plan before, but it was for a business which was never created. (A friend and I entered a business plan competition with it.) I'm starting to think it's time to create another business plan in order to help organize a good strategy....

I'm keen to hear more of your thoughts on this, Mike, or anyone else...

- Dien