“Planning” –
Sometimes just saying that word can feel like fingernails on a chalk board. Yet it’s an essential business practice, and it often gets avoided. Why is that?
One not so good reason (or excuse) is that the daily demands of the business always come first – there’s never enough time. Granted it takes time to plan and design the growth of your business, but given the payoff on a well-executed plan, it ought to be a high priority.
It is not time demands that make it so hard to commit to the planning task. Most often it’s
because the business owner isn’t clear where they’re headed with the business; and they
don’t know what’s involved in getting there – it can feel daunting.
“People often complain about lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem.” – Zig Ziglar
When I ask a business owner “what do you want the business to look like in a year or five years”, there is usually a long pause. The answer does not come easily. It’s not quite like thinking about and planning a vacation. If indeed you get a vacation, you are eager to make plans for it. Maybe it’s to the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Paris, or Disneyland.
Regardless of where you choose, you are going from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’, and at some level you will make a plan. You think about where you’re going, how you will get there, and the things you want to do. Vacation point B is a place that takes you away from your usual routines – the goal is for fun, rest, adventure, or intimacy.
In your business, there is a point ‘A’. It’s where you are with the business right now. When you want the business to change or grow, then where the business is headed would be some form or location I’ll call point ‘B’. And it may not be as easy to get your arms around as taking a vacation.
Most owners are not clear about where or what point B is. What does it look like? Who are the people I’m with? How much am I earning? So dear business owner, do you want a crystal clear picture of what point ‘B’ is for your business?
Painting that picture of what you really want opens up new choices – a chance to plan how you will get there, and to grasp what’s required for the journey. The scary part really isn’t in the planning – it’s in the actual journey; and that is most often what will stop you from the planning. The road ahead is unknown, and there will be dragons – plan on it. “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien
Planning your 2019 business growth or expansion could in fact give you a few more vacations to plan. I don’t know how that sounds to you, but I love the idea. It is important that you take the time to at least explore getting your business to higher ground. Then you can look at the view.