The Big Plan

So own up, have you got an up to date business plan?

If the answer is no, then you are part of the 92% of businesses that don't. Its quite understandable, after all you have a business to run and don't have time for plans. Even if you do have a written plan, it is quite possible that it was done purely to impress the bank.

But a business plan does not have to be a glossy brochure. It can be a detailed plan of everything the company intends to achieve and how it will get there or a few hand-written pages of goals. Numerous surveys have shown that the act of writing something down makes it twice as likely that it will happen.

Deciding what your long-term objectives are is the first step. You should then consider what contribution each area of your business makes towards achieving these objectives. As you do so, write down all the ideas and changes you would like to implement and separate them into three lists:

• Short-term goals
• Medium-term goals
• Long-term goals

Now put a time scale to each list. For very new businesses, short-term may mean a month for others it could mean a year. Short-term goals are likely to be far more specific than the medium-term or long-term goals.

What do you then do with the plan? Well don't file it. Pin it on the wall or give to every member of your company. Whatever it takes to help get the contents actually done.

New businesses are much better at this sort of stuff than more mature ones. They have enthusiasm but perhaps more importantly they don't have baggage. That is the baggage of “we have always done it this way” or that changes are somehow an admittance that we have been getting it wrong all these years. Well the world moves on and we all have to adapt in order to survive.

Using an outside consultant makes a big difference. They often see what those in the business don't want to admit to seeing. We call this “The emperor's new clothes” effect! They also act as a motivator (some would say nag) to make sure things get done.

And do you know the best thing about doing this? It not only improves your business, it also makes it more fun. Now tell me, when are you going to start work on The Big Plan?