Home
>
Strategic Planning
>
Fail to plan... or Plan to FAIL??

Fail to plan... or Plan to FAIL??

Running a business, whether it be an offline multi-billion dollar company or an online part time home business, they share many similar traits.

One of the biggest obstacles I have endeavored to translate to many, many small business / home business people, is a very simple phrase......' Treat It Like a REAL business, Because It IS a REAL Business'.

The fundamental reasoning behind so many failures in small business, is the clear lack of willingness to act like a real business. Many people may ' have a go ', they could ' give it a try ', or ' let's see what happens ' - all with the.. ' what have I got to lose? ' attitude. THAT, my friends, is one of the biggest secrets to FAILURE.

OK - so let's assume that your small business / home business / BizOp etc., is NOT you main source of income. It is NOT responsible for putting food in you family's stomachs, it is NOT what keeps a roof over your head..... it is NOT the sole form of income that you, your family and your Bank Manager rely upon.

So look at it like this. If it WAS, would you put as much effort into it as you do now? I can pretty much guarantee that your efforts would be substantially more, because everything relies on the success of your business, vis-?-vis the money your business generates.

Well, now we have ascertained that you should be running it like a real business.......Are you?

> Do you have a business plan?

> Do you know each step that your business will take over the next week, month, year, three years....?

> Have you prepared your agenda for acquiring new customers, products, joint venture partners?

> Do you have a timetable of events?

> How often do you research, analyse, read-up and check out your competitors?

> When was the last time you contacted your client base?

> Do you offer them special offers, free resources and reports? What about surveying them and asking for their opinions?

> How often do you do all this?

> Does your business have a 'company objective'?

> Has your 'company' it's own 'customer mission statement'?

> Have you set yourself / your business targets....use my S.M.A.R.T. Principle...... .......targets which must be

= Specific.............. each item / area of business must be targeted specifically.

= Measurable........ be able to measure your targets, how much, how often etc.

= Achievable........don't think that you can sell 2 million units if your competitors only sell 50 units.

= Realistic.............. be honest with yourself. Can it be done?

= Time-bound.......give limitations and deadlines to whatever you are planning. Open-ended is no good.

If you want to run your BUSINESS 'willy-nilly', or 'Gun Ho' - then expect eventual failure. However, with some applied thought, planning and foresight, you can develop your little, part-time home business into something which definitely has increased chances for success.

Apply time-management techniques, stick to time-tables and deadlines. Look out for 'Time Thieves'........ These are people or events which steal time from you, time which could be more effectively used elsewhere.

Example: Someone calls and asks when you can deliver a certain item, you reply "within two days", they are happy with your response BUT instead of the conversation finishing, they go on to talk about weather, sports, families etc...

.....before you know it, a one-minute call has turned into a 30 minute episode of everything except business. Not Good. This is time you could have efficiently used elsewhere.........they have stolen your time from you. Look out for the 'Time Thieves' - they are everywhere. Spot them - deal with them.

Time Management is KEY to business planning. If your plan has a tight schedule to work to, then your management of ever-so valuable time will be very important. Plan your time carefully, effectively and efficiently......but do allow for some overspill and overlap.......it happens in any business!

One KEY fundamental of business planning is the ability to be flexible and adaptable. Never assume that once you create your plan, that you must stick to it rigidly, but flexible when necessary, but not to the detriment of the your success. Remember, overspill and overlap work both sides of the same coin.

PLAN. Plan carefully, plan honestly, plan realistically. But you must plan.

Final thought. Think long and hard about the 'company / business objective' and the 'Customer Mission Statement'.

Put together a short (two - three sentences) paragraph for each, which clearly defines..... A). What your business is all about. B). What your customers can expect from your business.

Chose the words carefully, put into 2-3 sentences everything that encapsulates both statements totally and work to these statements closely.

Plan for success, because without planning, you will fail.

Gary Durkin is the owner / CEO of
http://www.doubleedgemarketing.com http://www.doubleedgemarketing.com http://www.doubleedgemarketing.com http://www.doubleedgemarketing.com http://www.doubleedgemarketing.com ...and the creator of the Serling Combination? package.

Gary has enjoyed more than a decade of international business success, and has been doing business online for 5 years.

Offline, Gary controls millions of dollars worth of global investments each day... online he applies to skills he has developed over the years by working with some of the World's leading internet marketers and specialists.

Tinley Park executive chauffeured services .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

The CyberGuy provides tips to protect yourself from criminals who use various methods to make unauthorized transactions using your account information.

New drone technology maps land and water with stunning accuracy, giving researchers and conservationists a new way to understand our planet.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

X hit with massive data breach with 200 million records leaked, including emails. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers seven tips to help protect yourself.

Atlas robot by Boston Dynamics amazes tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson with its breakdancing moves.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Google kept Android SafetyCore details quiet until it scanned users' photos.

Hydrogen trucks debut in Georgia, sparking debates on costs and green freight gains. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson comments on this promising chapter in green logistics evolution.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says ChatGPT learns from chats, but you should avoid sharing sensitive information to protect your privacy.

Beyond Aero's BYA-1: Hydrogen-electric jet with zero emissions, reduced costs, 2030 launch. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses a potential game changer in the evolution of air travel.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how you can creatively repurpose your old unused Android devices, which are full of potential and hidden value.

Mech the super-humanoid robot can lift up to 132 pounds and is designed to tackle stressful and repetitive tasks that often lead to workplace injuries.

Double-clicking is something we all do, often without giving it a second thought. But it could be giving hackers permission to do something dangerous.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Kurt the CyberGuy offers some of his easy expert tips to free up storage space on your Android if your device is running short on storage.

You can reset your internet router remotely if you're not home when your power goes out. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how this can be done.

The EO Canopy is a self-sustaining, solar-powered camping platform designed to provide all the comforts of home while completely off the grid.

Experts say hackers who used to focus on Windows operating systems are increasingly targeting Apple IDs as part of a new phishing campaign.

Unitree, a Chinese robotics company that developed a backflipping robot, has now introduced a humanoid robot capable of doing a side flip.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

According to the FBI, cybercriminals are sending extortion letters, threatening to release victims' sensitive information unless a ransom is paid.

FireSat is a satellite project designed to detect and track wildfires early, aiming to detect a fire that's the size of a classroom within 20 minutes.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reports that researchers have uncovered a Chrome vulnerability used in a cyber espionage campaign.

Preserving voicemails securely on Android: Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals easy methods to keep memories alive forever.

This phishing kit bypasses 2FA via session hijacking and real-time credential theft. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers four ways to stay safe from Astaroth phishing attacks.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic planning to launch 200-mph U.K. air taxis linking airports and cities.

Fail to plan... or Plan to FAIL??

Strategic Planning