There is something that starts to happen in businesses around this time of year … as financials get completed, and people take a few weeks to refresh after the end of the financial year, their mind starts some fresh thinking about just what they’d like to do differently in this new year.
Whether you’re a fan of business planning or not, the fact of the matter is, this is a year that is more important than any previous one, for every financial advice business to take stock of where they’ve been and where they’re heading and document their own unique business plan.
I can’t describe just how powerful it is, to take all of your ideas and thoughts about where you want to take your business and structure them into a plan. The power that comes from getting out of the every-day and getting off-site, even just for a single day, to do nothing other than focus ON your business.
Sure, there are statistics that prove an effective business plan results in more profits, in greater growth… but the stats don’t capture the real results that happen when planning is done well.
The uneasy feeling that you could be doing better if only you had the time to stop and focus on how. The doubts that nag in the corner of the mind when you have ideas floating around about things you’d like to improve, but they keep floating, unable to quite get into conscious thought so they can be fixed. The nagging fears that you’re always one step behind the eight ball, trying to keep up with changes that are outside your control, but affect the way you run your business.
Then the sense of control that comes with articulating your great ideas and determining which ones you’ll implement to achieve the growth you seek….the confidence that comes when you take the lead in the direction your business heads and the strategies you implement … and then the satisfaction that comes from seeing progress in your business, from having your team on the same page, heading in the same direction, all committed to achieving the outcomes you’ve devised together.
These are the real results from having an effective business plan …. More money, sure; and also that sense of satisfaction and pride that can only be gained when you really take the lead in your business.
I’ve worked with great businesses, with leaders who know where they’re heading and how they want to get there, and I’ve worked with those who are new to business planning, and have reached out to us to learn how to do it well. All of them share the desire to be more than mediocre.
We believe so strongly in the power of great business planning, having seen the results that occur when it is done well, that we invested heavily to develop a software program that empowers business owners to do it well. The Juice Console is now used in many advice practices around Australia, by those who use our coaches, by those who work with their PDM, and those who choose to do it alone. And I’m thrilled with the feedback were getting from users who love the new habits it has helped them form, and love having complete visibility over where their business is heading and what’s working ….
If you’ve wanted to create a plan for the year and you haven’t yet found the time….or you’ve started your plan but haven’t yet worked out how to finish it and ensure it gets implemented… Or you’ve never done a plan before and you want some guidance on how to do it…. Check out our Juice Console system here.
You can access the software to use yourself…. Or if you want to block out a day to do it and have someone else facilitate so you can strategise with your team, we have just released our dates for our Recharge workshops; the most cost-effective way to get your team off-site and be guided through the process to set your plan for the year. You can find dates and details here.
If you have five minutes, check out the video below, where I share our keys to great business planning….. how to get the SMARTS when it comes to planning your business future.