Most of us are familiar with the very high failure rate of small businesses. It’s scary and sobering. It’s also preventable.
Some of the reasons often given for failure include lack of ‘experience’, ‘capital’, ‘planning’, ‘a risk management strategy and contingency plan’, ‘vision’, ‘personal and fiscal discipline’, ‘cash flow’, ‘personal and professional networks’ (Your network is your net worth), ‘a clearly defined niche market’ and ‘life plan’ (knowing what you want for your life and building your business around it).
Other reasons include poor ‘financial management’, ‘operations’, ‘systems’, ‘customer service’, ‘maths’ (not enough demand for your product or service at the price), ‘management’ and ‘leadership’. Unfortunately some fail for less controllable reasons including declining or obsolete markets and out of control growth.
Many of you have heard me speak about the importance of three things to ensure your business is successful – a map, method and mentor.
Can you imagine how successful a wedding day, an overseas trip or building a new home would be without a plan? We all spend time planning events like these to ensure a successful outcome. Why is it that so many small business owners (or career professionals) embark in business and work without a plan?
In the past two years I have assisted some 200 small business owners develop their business and strategic plans. They realised that their business would flounder or was “at risk” without a clear business and strategic growth plan. They have taken the first and essential step in ensuring business success.
So why is a “map” so important?
In this article I want to briefly explore 7 reasons why having a ‘map’ (a business and strategic plan) is the first step to ensure business success – Context, Content, Clarity, Confidence and Certainty, Checkpoints and Confirmation, Currency and Continuity, Conversations and Compass. Read on and “C”.
Context and Content
Many business owners are so busy in the day to day operations of their business (content) that they have forgotten why they are in business, where they are headed (Context) and the key strategic goals needed to grow their business.
This is clearly illustrated in the two photos above. The picture on the left is of different coloured rice plants grown near a village in Japan. It’s a rather unremarkable photo. It does not have context or perspective. It’s random, busy and lacks clear direction and clarity. That’s what happens when we operate our life and business without a plan. We are reactive and focus on whatever is demanding our attention at the moment.
‘We can’t see the wood from the trees’ as the old saying goes. We are so busy working in the ‘content’ of our business we have not taken the time to plan. (You know the hackneyed sayings don’t you? ‘Prior preparation prevents p_ _s poor performance!’ Or ‘If you fail to plan you plan to fail!’)
The photo on the right is the landscape created out of those different coloured rice plants. There is a clear purpose and vision here. The result is beautiful and productive. It attracts huge amounts of business (tourists). You get the ‘picture’. Do you have this kind of perspective for your business?
Clarity
When I ask for feedback from my workshops and coaching participants, nearly 100% report that developing their business plan has given them clarity. They know why they are in business, how this aligns with their Purpose, they have a clear vision of where they are headed and know how and where their growth is coming from. They have clear SMART goals and actions steps to achieve these. Our thoughts and ideas are great but they are also random, numerous and often confusing. Getting them out of our heads and on paper gives clarity and focus.
Confidence and Certainty
I don’t know about you but I really find it helpful to look at a map before going someplace new. I need to see the big picture (the context) as well as the detail of how to get there (content). Now I know some of you don’t care about that because you use a GPS, but even this gives the overall direction as well as the detail. Like travelling, having a ‘business map’ and knowing where you are going gives you confidence and certainty. That means less stress and greater peace of mind. It also saves a lot of time by not getting ‘lost’!
Checkpoints and Confirmation
Like a map, a business plan has check points or key markers along the way to where you are headed. You need weekly, monthly or yearly ‘check points’ in terms of your staffing, marketing, operational and financial goals. Seeing where you are headed and passing the clearly signed check points ‘is a powerful motivator and confidence booster, knowing that you are ‘on – track’.
Currency and Continuity
I hear so many people remark that business plans are a big waste of time because once written for a particular reason (usually to raise finance for an idea or interest) they get left on the shelf or in the filing cabinet, never to be looked at again.
Your business plan needs to be current and provide you with continuity. It also needs continual and constant reviewing and revising. It should be central to your weekly, monthly and yearly planning. If you are using this to build your business, Version 1 will become V4 (at least) by the end of 12 months. So be proactive and keep your business plan current. Doing this it will ‘force’ you to take time out to work on your business.
Conversations
No matter how small your team, your business plan should be central to your business conversations. Aligning teams to the Purpose, Vision, Missions and Values of the business is essential. Conversations around strategic goals, people performance, operational goals, customer satisfaction arise from the strategic plan, not just on an ad hoc reactive basis. If you are a solopreneur, then use your plan in mastermind groups and with your business mentor or coach.
Compass
Think of your business plan as your business compass – it gives you and your business ‘true north’ and keeps you moving in the right direction – with confidence, focus and clarity. Many distractions will come your way and you will be tempted to move in different directions as you get nudged and pulled off course. Inevitably your spirit and mojo will be low on occasions too. When this happens go back to your plan and like a compass it will point you in the right direction. Knowing you are on track and passing your milestones is tremendously encouraging and keeps you on-purpose!
Click here to get assistance with your Business Plan
September Workshop: Coolangatta
Click here to get assistance with your Life Plan
Click here to get assistance with your Career Plan
© Dr Edward Gifford, On-Purpose Partners Pty Ltd, September 2012