Planning Can Be Fun!

As business owners, we are always planning. When we started our business, we created our business plan. We do annual planning, project planning, marketing plans, product launch plans…you get the idea! For so many business owners, however, the idea of planning is overwhelming and tedious. The goal of this blog is to help you realize that it doesn’t have to be! It can even be, dare I say it, fun!

The most talked about types of planning are the business plan and annual plan…which can blend into the same thing over time. These plans are designed for business owners to think through how they are going to run their business and the timelines for the various operations that support that overall plan.

One of the reasons I enjoy planning so much is that it is time set aside to dream about what can be, and then to draw up a path to getting there. The nice thing about planning is that it doesn’t have to be done all at once; it can be tailored to meet your current needs.

Here are some tips for breaking down the planning process and timeline to fit your business needs.

1. Understand your business cycle. Look for the natural ebbs and flows of your business, times when you may not be as busy. Capitalize on those times to set aside time to review or create your plan. If you are super busy during the holidays, it may not be a good time to consider your plans for the next year. Maybe set aside the post-holiday lull in January/February to evaluate the past year and plan for the next.

2. Break it into smaller chunks. Make a list of the different areas you need to create a plan for. You can layer as necessary, for example you’ll want to have an ongoing marketing plan to be promoting your business throughout the year, but you may increase marketing efforts during different times of the year. If you are in a season where you are “maintaining” your marketing plan, you may not need to worry about focusing on building out the marketing plan until you’re ready to start increasing marketing efforts.

3. Change your planning mindset. A mindset is defined as a “fixed attitude, disposition or mood or an intention or inclination.” Identify what your planning mindset is. Do you dread planning? Is it something you don’t mind but don’t love? Whatever your mindset is, recognize it and then ask if it is the right mindset you should have.

Planning is about creating the potential future of your business. That should excite you as a business owner!

So, what are you waiting for? Download this FREE Planning Mindsets Assessment to gauge your thoughts towards planning and additional tips and inspiration to improve your planning mindset!

The 5 Planning Mindsets.pdf

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