PLANNING………For
your business and your life
by
Phyllis Sisenwine
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
I’ve known people who spend hours planning
a two-week vacation. They do research, print out
maps and have every detail thought out. Yet, they
don’t spend nearly as much time mapping
out their business plan for an entire year.
Do you have a plan for your business this year?
If not, plan now. Here’s how. Take some
time to review the year 2000. How much money did
you earn? How many hours did you work? How many
customers did you serve? How many new customers
did you get? How many did you lose? Look for any
patterns that prevail. Did you offer any new products
or services? Were they effective? Did they add
to your bottom line?
Review your appointment book. How did you really
spend your time? What marketing strategies did
you use? Look at the organizations you belong
to and the hours you invested. Was it worthwhile?
Did you have adequate support? What were your
expenses? Did you participate in conferences and
trade shows? What were the results of your efforts?
Now take some time to create a vision for the
New Year. Once you know what you want you can
create your plan. How much money do you want to
earn? How many hours do you want to work? What
types of clients do you want to work with? Is
it time for you to increase your fees? What marketing
strategies do you want to put in place? Do you
need new brochures or a new logo? What image do
you want to project? Where should you be advertising
to support that image? (Perhaps this is the year
to advertise in the magazine you are now reading)
Is it time to upgrade your equipment? If you
are on the Internet is your website getting you
business? Do you need a consultant, a mentor or
a coach to support you and create a strategy for
success? Take some time to answer these questions
and to look at what you have, what you want, and
how you’ll get there.
Let’s look at your personal life. How was
this past year for you? Did you lose the weight
you wanted? Did you read the books you bought?
Did you spend quality time with your family and
friends? Are you making new year’s resolutions
that you have no intention of keeping? Don’t
put anything on your list that you “should” be
doing. Think about what you really want. What
do you want this coming year to look like for
you? Fast forward to a year from today. What would
you personally like to have accomplished? In order
to be successful in business it’s important
to have a great personal life.
Let’s create a life plan along with your
business plan. What do you want your life to look
like? Analyze what drains your energy. Make a
list of everything you’ve been tolerating.
Start eliminating and resolving them. Look at
raising your standards and establishing bigger
boundaries. Spend time with people you really
enjoy. Maybe this is the year to simplify your
life. Don’t overcommit yourself. Create
space for the right opportunities and relationships.
Think about your purpose in life, your vision.
It doesn’t have to be as big as Bill Gates’ vision
of a computer on every desk. I ask my clients
at the start of every year to create a theme for
themselves. One client said she wanted to re-invent
herself. She has had a year filled with positive
changes. She’s lost weight, is working out
with a personal trainer for the first time and
has started writing short stories. She is ready
to take a big leap in her career. Some clients
have chosen themes of balance, self care or creativity.
Is this the year you’ll finish that project
you started years ago that’s still in the
basement or garage?
Do you want to paint, learn a sport or take a
course? Put it in your plan. Create a life that
brings you joy. You might want to write on a 3x5
card the message you want to tell yourself every
day. It might be, “I am happy and grateful
for my life” or “I choose to spend
time with people who give me energy”. In
order to have a successful business without a
struggle, it starts with having a successful life.
Make a plan, follow it and have a great year!
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