Do you have a business plan? When I ask that question to business owners, I get a variety of responses, most of which are accompanied by an eye roll or two. The reason for the eye rolls? Many people believe that creating a business plan is a long, drawn out affair that compiles a ton of data and research into a document that at the end of the day doesn’t do much for helping people actually run their business. This type of document is great for demonstrating to bankers or investors that you have a handle on your business, the competitive environment in which you are operating, and your overall plans. BUT… a huge business plan doesn’t really help you run your business on a day to day basis. For that – you need something simple, that at the same time, gives you enough direction and focus to meet your overall goals. Enter the One Page Business Plan. This is a proven system that will allow you to laser focus on your most important goals for the year. You determine your vision for the next several years, then set strategies and specific action plans to create a roadmap to guide
Read more →In my work with clients, one of the major themes that I come across is the issue of accountability. So many people work hard on their business planning activities, set goals, have wonderful intentions…but something happens. Or, rather, something DOESN’T happen! All the planning in the world won’t move your business forward unless you are committed to taking the action steps you outlined for yourself. So often, especially at the beginning of a new year or new quarter or new business cycle, we spend lots of time planning. It is easy to get stuck in too much input and not enough output! The magic is in the implementation. That is easier said than done and many of us think we just need to be focused, or be disciplined in order to “do” the work we said we would do to move our business forward. It is REALLY hard to do it yourself! Small and mid-sized business owners often lack the infrastructure that is present in larger companies. One of the downsides of a lack of infrastructure is a lack of accountability. If a business owner is the only executive on their team, they don’t have a peer group with whom
Read more →In my work with clients, one of the major themes that I come across is the issue of accountability. So many people work hard on their business planning activities, set goals, have wonderful intentions…but something happens. Or, rather, something DOESN’T happen!
All the planning in the world won’t move your business forward unless you are committed to taking the action steps you outlined for yourself. So often, especially at the beginning of a new year or new quarter or new business cycle, we spend lots of time planning. It is easy to get stuck in too much input and not enough output! The magic is in the implementation. That is easier said than done and many of us think we just need to be focused, or be disciplined in order to “do” the work we said we would do to move our business forward. It is REALLY hard to do it yourself!
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