I cannot believe the end of the year is upon us– I have no idea how this happened so quickly. Regardless of how quickly time passed this year, it’s time to look back so that we can look forward. In looking back at 2021, I know we had another year of wondering, “What’s normal?” and over the last nearly two years, it’s been hard to plan. That being said, YOU MUST MAKE A PLAN! We have to start somewhere; if you don’t have a plan, there is nowhere to go and nothing to do that has intention behind it. And THIS, my friends, is why businesses stay stuck or fail. Remember that old adage, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail?” It’s 100% true. As a matter of fact, businesses with a plan have a 30% greater chance of growth and a real chance at doubling (excellentbusinessplans.com).
Here’s the thing. People have failed to plan over the last year because they didn’t know the future. But seriously, do we ever? Have we ever? I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t have a crystal ball. Why is now any different than any other year as far as not knowing what the next year holds? PLANS ARE FLUID. Just because you make a plan, it doesn’t mean that the plan can’t be tweaked or shifted. I’m not asking you to write it in stone or in blood. Just in pencil. Or pen if you’re brave—but I’m not that brave. Let’s simplify this whole scary process, shall we? First of all, you don’t have to have the 5 or necessarily even the 3-year plan. Why don’t we start with the YEARLY/annual plan? Maybe this seems a little less daunting, except you may not know where to begin. Or you may be saying to yourself, “I’ve tried this before and it didn’t work for me.” I am going to walk you through how I make my plan, and I’m hoping you’ll take it from there!
- Look at what you accomplished in this CURRENT year and set a goal around growth—30% is usually a great place to start.
- Make a list of all the things you offer or promotions or launches you have during a year and how much the customer/client investment is for each.
- Based on your increase, how many people do you need for each to make the financial goal?
All of this is just the beginning, but it’s a place to start! If we never start, we certainly can’t finish. My wish for you as you head out of 2021 and into 2022 is that you start ahead of where you were a year ago. Go out and give yourself every opportunity for growth in the coming year! And start NOW, not in January.