The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.
This innovation initially came to life when…
A mortgage broker with a conscience realised that the reason MOST people need to borrow MORE money is because they don’t have a budget. Further research showed that not only have most people under 60 NEVER been taught how to set one up, but there was NObody that offered a service to coach and teach people this skill. Many times people are told to ‘do a budget first’ but there are very few people who actually KNOW how to start.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
Teach people how to manage their money on a daily basis. This solves a major problem with financial literacy and means that everybody can have a future that is financially secure.
It does this by…
…a 2 – 3 hour consultation where the customers are visited by a consultant. Together they look at their debt and their income, how they spend their money, and THEN they draw up a budget plan to suit their individual circumstances. The consultant will then do followup and review appointments as required by the client.
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
…there is no ‘get and forget’ software from an online ‘grab-the-money-and-run’ company. Customers are taught how to manage their money in a ‘one-on-one’ consultation. It’s personal, it’s face-to-face and it’s individual. And it’s simple!
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
…knowing how to manage your money on a daily basis and knowing exactly the precise moment that you’ve over-spent on your budget for the week. There is no waiting for a bank statement to tell you!
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
There has never been a personal service that has addressed this problem. In the past nobody has seen the lack of budgeting skills as a problem. In the future it will become a huge problem! It’s happening already!
Its predecessors/competitors include…
What competition? We can’t find any. People can buy a software budgeting program via the internet – but there is no personal service like ours to teach them how to implement a budget. Nobody does what we do!
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
YOU! Anybody who has any form of income needs this service, even if only once. Let me ask you this one question: If you lost your source of income today, how long would you survive before you needed welfare payments? Your answer determines your place in our ‘target market’.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
…booking an appointment with a consultant via fax, phone or email. It is available NOW!
Our marketing strategy is to…
…capitalise on our word-of-mouth referrals and keynote speaking events. Radio advertising, online advertising, social media marketing, trade shows and any other publicity we can generate are part of our marketing strategies. We’ve already begun with our weekly regional radio program and weekly regional newspaper column.
SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS INNOVATION
While the judging is now officially over, you can still show your support for this innovation in one of the following three ways:
- Hit the VOTE UP button: Top left of each page (Not available for IE users)
- Trigger a Reaction: Re-Tweet, Like on Facebook, etc.
- Leave a Comment: Share the love!
To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.
Ready to work less… and achieve more?
Want an ad like this?If you’re running your own business, there’s a good chance you may feel stretched. You may love all the things you do for your customers, but find it hard to juggle the admin and other business roles you have to play. That’s where we can help.
