Business planning in 4 easy steps

There’s a common misconception that a Business Plan has to be a gigantic document filled with all sorts of details. 

We wrote a few in our early business days, but you know what we did with them? Nothing. Absolutely Nothing.

These days we have a much simpler, far more useful process …

1. Answer these 4 questions:

• • • Where are we now? This is where you reflect on last year.
    • Where do we want to be? This is where you create a future vision.
    • How will we get there? This is where you make a plan to achieve your future vision.
    • How will we know when we get there? This is where you commit to measurable goals.

2. Break down the goals under question 3 into 4x 90 day plans.

And there’s your year planned out! (Get your templates here).

• • What’s currently running smoothly in your business? What changes would you like to see?
  • What do your customers love about your business/products/services? What changes/improvements would they like to see?
  • Which products/services are delivering the most revenue?
  • How do your financials look? Where are the gaps?
  • How is your marketing going? (reach, engagement & conversion rates)
  • How would you like to develop professionally? personally?
  • What was the ROI (return on investment) of any events or campaigns you ran in the last year?

WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?  This is where you create a future vision.

• • How do you want your business to run?
  • What do you want customers to say about your business/products/services? What do you want their experience to be? (from first point of contact to the day-to-day experience?)
  • What do you want your potential customers first impression to be?
  • How do you want your operations to run?
  • What are your financial goals for this year?
  • What do you want to achieve with your marketing?
  • What do you want the ROI on your events/campaigns to be?
  • What skills would you like to have?
  • What does work-life balance look like to you?

HOW WILL WE GET THERE?  This is where make a plan to achieve your future vision.

• • What do you need to change in your business?
  • How can you fill the gaps between what customers are currently saying and what you want them to say?
  • As above for potential cusotmers’ first impressions?
  • What do you need to do to achieve your operations goals?
  • How many additional customers do you need (in each part of your business) to achieve your financial and capacity goals? Where are the gaps?
  • What else can you do to achieve your financial goals?
  • How can you change your marketing to achieve your reach, engagement and conversion goals?
  • What courses can you do? Who can mentor you? What can you learn from members/friends/colleagues?
  • What steps can you take to achieve your work-life balance goals?
  • For all of the above, add timeframes for when you want to achieve them

HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN WE GET THERE? This is where you commit to measurable goals.

• • By [insert timeframe], we will have achieved: [insert checklist of tasks to do in your business]
  • By [insert timeframe], our customers will say: [insert what you want them to say]
  • By [insert timeframe], our potential customers first impression will be: [insert what you want it to be]
  • By [insert timeframe], our operations will be: [insert operational goals]
  • By [insert timeframe], we will have [insert #] new customers/products/services
  • By [insert timeframe], we will retain [insert #] existing customers
  • By [insert timeframe], we will make [insert $] in 2022 (or by week/month)
  • By [insert timeframe], we will achieve [insert reach, engagement & conversion goals] for our marketing activities
  • By [insert timeframe], I will be competent in [insert skills]
  • By [insert timeframe], I will do [insert work-life balance activities] every day/week/month