Hopefully, the title has you hooked. Here’s another expression: “fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” 👀

Heard that before? I’m sure you have, and to be honest, it’s one of those statements that makes you nod your head but then dismiss in an instant. But it’s never been truer when talking about business planning.
So unglaze your eyes, and listen closely – if you prepare properly, then your project is going to really reap the rewards. 🏅

It’s about taking control of your destiny – a lot of the time that’s realising you can afford to be more ambitious. Here’s my advice on putting a plan together and what it should include.

Don’t be a dummy

There are many things in life you can get away with not planning for. An impromptu trip to the cinema, having a quick nap or taking the team out for lunch are all things that can be done in the moment. Business planning is not one of these things.

Quite simply, a business plan is a document that you can take to your bank, or to investors, that shows how you’re doing currently, and where you want to be in x number of years. Normally a 5-year plan is a great place to start, and that’s what we’d recommend.

But to get to this point you have to do all the actual ‘planning’ which requires time, effort, and expertise. You’ll need all the juicy bits of data that will really show someone how your business works and what your goals are.

You’ll want to get everyone together with thinking caps on and have someone who can ask the right questions to keep things headed in the right direction. I love this part of the process – helping clients find the areas they weren’t aware they could do better or showing them the things that they’re doing well. 🗣️

Get out of your echo chamber

We’ve spoken to people in the past who don’t believe in planning. In fact, all you have to do is run a google search for ‘business planning’ and you’ll find lots of articles telling you that you don’t need a plan in 2021. Utter rubbish. 🗑️

Sorry, that’s me being blunt again – but it’s true. I’ve yet to come across any business that hasn’t benefited from taking some time to put a plan together.

When you plan you open your eyes and ears to the potential for growth, for change, for new ideas. This can only be a good thing for any business.

And once you’ve done it the first time, it makes updating or amending this plan much easier in the future. You’ll have a great marker in the sand to measure your current progress against.

So, what’s the POA?

Well if you’ve read this and you feel ready to get started then great! I’ve convinced another person away from burying their head in the sand. 🎉

All jokes aside, if you need to talk about anything business planning-related, I’m always ready to hear from you. Or, if you fancy something a bit more structured, why not give one of our business builder courses a go. We’re passionate about helping businesses grow, which is why we put together some great material to help make you see the massive benefits of planning.

Sign up for our business builder course for £250 + VAT, or get in touch for personalised help with your business plan.