Your Business Plan – the #1 Action You Can Take

For owners facing growth, overwhelm, succession worries, people issues, or stagnate profit, there’s one action you can take that will resolve these issues forever.

Create your business’ plan.

What do we mean when we say “your business’ plan?”

Picture a single sheet of paper (albeit 11” x 14”) that prompts you to fill out each component: high-level, long-term elements like culture statement, BHAG, and 10-year goals and then your annual and quarterly goals.

Then picture a 2nd sheet that lists the 5 actions necessary THIS QUARTER to achieve your annual goals… with the name of the team member who “owns” the goal along with the date it is to be completed.

Most owners, often with their teams, complete this business plan in 3 or 4 hours.

There truly is no more comprehensive way to be certain that every part of your business is moving forward in the direction you need it to.

Download our template here?(free) to get started on your plan. We’ve made it easy and straightforward. You can complete it by yourself or with your team.

Better yet, complete your plan alongside expert business coaches by signing up for our Growth Plan Workshop. And if you missed the in-person ones in your area, no problem.? You can get the same expert guidance in the comfort of your office by attending our 2-Part Virtual Growth Plan Workshop. Register here.

After working with hundreds of small business owners to create their plans, below, we listed the top 10 ways to insure the success of your plan… a plan that insures that how you’re spending your time today aligns with where you want your company to be tomorrow and years down the road. Read on for the top 10 ways…

Top 10 Ways to Create a Small Business Strategic Plan

1. Make it short! No binders or folders with pages of narrative and charts. Instead, make it numbers and short sentences, and, of course, all on a single sheet.
2. Take a few dedicated hours to create it. While it won’t be perfect, by the end of 3 or 4 hours you can have all the necessary components of your business’ plan for your company laid out.
3. Also create your 1-page Quarterly Action Plan, download here. By the end of that same 3 or 4 hours, you can have actions defined, complete with due dates and who’s responsible for them. The Quarterly Action Plan ensures those plans are executed with accountability and impact.
4. Align your business plan with the vision you have for your personal life. Whatever it is you want to Be, Do, and Have in 15-20 years, in 5-10 years, and next year, insure your business plan supports those personal goals that you and your family have.
5. Include your leadership team in the creation of your plan. As the owner, your plan should start with your vision and your statement of the culture you want to have; then get your leadership team’s input on how to accomplish them.
6. Start it with a SWOT-T. You may not finish the whole SWOT-T but get a few of your company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats down on paper as well as key Trends in your industry.
7. Revisit your Single Sheet Business Plan once a quarter for the first year or two. This is your opportunity to finish it. After that, you’ll only need to make minor modifications.
8. With your leadership team, be religious about setting aside a few hours at the beginning of each quarter to date the quarterly actions on your Single Sheet Business Plan. A good way to enhance your accountability is by involving others.
9. Develop a strong quarterly “meeting rhythm” to drive your business forward through planning and rapid adjustment to the market. Include weekly or bi-weekly 1-hour meeting to check in on progress of each quarterly goal.
10. Celebrate completed goals and actions

Another option to get started… any one of our coaches is available to meet with you and your leadership team to create your plan. They’re experts at developing strong plans and a strong meeting rhythm and are happy to meet with you and your leadership team to facilitate your ongoing 2025 planning discussion.

Each coach has worked with hundreds of businesses since 2010 and have proven to be adept at asking just the right questions to guide your planning.

A starting point is our Discovery Coaching Session which is free with no obligation or high pressure. Call or email one of them and request a meeting:

Brad Justus 765-610-0288? ? ?[email protected]

Kent Fisher? 317-850-1962? ? ?[email protected]

Brian Kemple? 317-657-5113? ?[email protected]

Natalie Menke?317-432-2891 [email protected]

Sherry Ryden? 615-207-6262? ? [email protected]

Roger Engelau?317-908-5809? ? [email protected]

The “devil” is in the details. Without a strong strategic and operational plan and a solid rhythm for execution, confusion, frustration, conflict, and damaged relationships result.

Spending a few hours on a small business strategic plan is critical time working ON your business instead of IN your business.