As you know, marketing plans need to be fluid as you adjust for the unexpected scenarios that regularly arrive at the door step of every small business owner. As soon as you think you know where you're headed, you may have to adapt to new information, delays or even a new strategy.

But having a marketing plan in place is crucial to the overall success of any business these days. A solid plan sets you on solid ground and gives you the direction you need to get the word out about the products and services you offer.

As you refuse to settle for the mediocre, take a look at the tips we'll review below to help you brainstorm some new ideas for your own marketing practices. After all, the new year is upon us and you'll want to make 2018 another big success.

How long does it take to make a first impression? Whether the result is good or bad, it takes much less time to make a first impression than most people think. 

Some may think they have 30 seconds to knock it out of the park. Others may assume their impression is solidified by the time they greet someone and shake their hand. However, research shows that a first impression is made within one tenth of a second, which is in almost no time at all!

If you're thinking of becoming an authorized retailer or even if you're an existing one, be sure to follow these six tips to help you make a great impression – right from the beginning, every single time. 

"Oops. I dropped the ball."

It's a phrase that many small business owners are bound to use from time to time. But it's also a concept they come to embrace — simply because they often consider themselves as risk takers. After all, it takes guts to set out and accomplish a vision that others may not deem as possible or achievable.

In fact, in most cases, small business owners have to be willing to look a little foolish or irrational to everyone watching from the sidelines. Because, try as they might, they are bound to fail. Not once. Not twice. But it's likely they will fail multiple times as they attempt to pursue their dreams. Yes, they'll drop the ball. They'll even trip and stumble sometimes as they attempt to sprint to the goal line.

Yet, even though failure hits the fan, they often come out on top in the end.

So how do they get beyond the whole risk taking thing and lead a small business with passion and success? What are the ingredients to that recipe? And how does it all play out?