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A new calendar year is just around the corner. For the majority of small business owners, that means it is time to examine performance for the year that is past and adjust the vision and action plans for the year ahead.
Success does not happen by accident. If you want to reach your full potential you can't just "wing it." You have to have a clear and concise plan and be ready to take action on the first day of the new year. Anything less and you have missed an opportunity to be all you can be, have all you can have, and accomplish all that is possible for you and your business. Don't worry, it does not have to be complicated. Set aside a little time and simply:
Now, turn your attention to the months ahead. Set aside time to update your plans, or schedule a long appointment with your business coach or a strategic partner and plan together. Invite your key stakeholders to join you, keeping in mind that people will be more invested in any plan that they help create.
Adjust your "vision" for success: What do you want? Be very clear with your intentions. Outline specific and positive facts covering the amount of business you want to create, the income you want to make, the number of clients you want to have, the products and services you will sell, the people you will surround yourself with, growth plans or reorganization intentions, expense reductions, new contracts, markets you want to penetrate, etc. Include every detail. Write it down. Make it a document that can travel with you through the year and mark your calendar to review it monthly.
Adjust your measurements: What targets will you set? Stretch yourself. Remember that a target or measurement is most powerful when it is inspiring. It should be attainable but a little out of your reach. Typical targets or measurements for small business owners include revenue, numbers of clients, percentages of active accounts, ratios of expense to income, staff size, rankings, and your volume of products or services. Use whatever best describes your goals in a measurable way.
Create an action plan: List the actions you plan to take that once completed will have led you to the goals you listed in your vision. Give the actions deadlines and make someone responsible for each of them. Put them on your calendar or in a project plan that you can use as a road map for your success. Make them reasonable. Scheduling every action for the first quarter of the new year is not practical.
Be Prepared: Even the best laid plans can be sabotaged. Here are a few things to consider now before they happen:
Know your resources: Finally, mobilize your army. Identify the resources that can help you reach your goals and realize your vision.
Now take a deep breath and acknowledge that all your possibilities are ahead of you. Be clear that you cannot drive results looking in the rear view mirror. Close the door on all that is passed and focus your attention on all that lies in the months to come. Remember, success in life and business is a journey, not a destination, and be grateful for the opportunities you have yet to realize.
Small business consultant and expert Sherry B. Jordan has spent the past 15 years working to develop ways to help small business owners move from making a choice to own a small business to living a lifestyle they love while making a living. Her new book, Plan It! Do It! Love It! Be Outrageously Successful Living the Small Business Lifestyle, captures and shares an arsenal of strategic advice on how to plan and execute a successful business strategy. The advice that may be most valuable is that which she offers on how to engage the tools you are born with to get what you expect and deserve without sacrificing joy and fulfillment of a rich personal life. http://planitdoitloveit.com/.