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Your Business Won't Make It If You Don't Do This It is crucial to build your business in tandem with a proactive promotional plan.

By Nicole Rodrigues

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Building a business without a marketing plan is like going to the grocery without a list. You'll end up throwing money away on things that aren't good for you and you'll forget to purchase what you actually need.

So many entrepreneurs drum up an idea for a business, they build and scale and iterate upon that idea, then — usually after their budget's already been exhausted on development — realize they still have to tell the world about their idea, or nobody will want to spend money on it.

Strategic marketing drives sales, builds your brand, sustains your presence and informs your customers. It is crucial to grow your company in tandem with a well-developed marketing plan.