Simple Strategic Planning for Small Business

Let?s start by defining a strategic plan. Simply put: Your business is here. It wants to be there. It will take these steps in this time frame to get from here to there. It will measure the effectiveness of these steps along the way.

So for example let?s say your business currently services 3 clients per month and over the next 12 months you want to serve 15 clients per month. Some steps you might take to get there are hiring an advertising consultant, joining a networking group, working with a sales consultant etc. Along the way you measure the effectiveness of each strategy and determine what?s working and what?s not and adjust accordingly.

We are now more than half way through 2012 if you haven?t already, now is a great time to take a look at the goals you set for your business at the?beginning?of the year and assess whether or not you are on track to complete them.?

Did you want to generate a certain number of new clients, sell (x) amount of products, or attend an industry conference? Whatever your goals were, it is important to Reflect, Reengineer?and Reengage if they have yet to be accomplished.?

Reflect

Take some time to look back over the past several months and provide honest answers to the following questions:

1. Have I generated at least half of the revenue I planned to earn by the end of 2012? If no, why not?
2. Have I taken the action necessary to meet my financial goals or have I become stuck in fear and indecision?
3. Could I leave my business for 2 weeks and it still run smoothly? If no what systems or staff can I put in place to make that a?possibility?
4. What tasks or?processes?can I eliminate or delegate in order to be more efficient in my business?

Reengineer

Once you have done some reflection now it?s time to make some changes. Determine if there is any part of your business that drains you, stresses you out or does not?directly?or indirectly generate any revenue and address it. For example; if you are spending a lot of time on Twitter and it has failed to bring in any new leads, prospects or favorable exposure it?s definitely time to make some changes.

It could be that your ideal clients just don?t hang out on Twitter or perhaps social media marketing is just not your specialty and it would serve you better to hire a social media consultant or a virtual assistant to help with this task. ?Whatever you do, don?t spend the next several months continuing with tasks that are not good for you or your business.?

Just so you know, I am practicing what I preach! I often convince myself that I am going to update my Facebook business page, reply to any comments or messages and get back to work, 10 minutes in and out! Yet 1 hour later I find myself reading about ?so and so?s? new job or whatshisname?s dinner menu? I have successfully generated media exposure and clients from social media so I can?t give it up but I did hire a virtual assistant who will be helping me to better manage my time on the various sites.

Reengage

Are their clients of yours that you haven?t communicated with in 6 or 7 months? If so, now is a great time to send them a quick note just to check in with them. I follow up with my clients every 6-8 weeks just to see how their businesses are going. I?m not contacting them to fish for new business but because I generally care about their success. Not only do they appreciate hearing from me but it keeps me fresh in their minds and often reminds them of a referral they meant to send me or an upcoming project they need my help with.?

Schedule in your calendar regular follow up because not only is it great customer service but it is also always much easier to get new business from an old (satisfied) client.?

Bonus!

To help you with your strategic planning I created a really simple fill-in-the blank plan. No cost, no opt-in just click here to download:?Simple Strategic Plan 2012?

Please comment below to let me know how the plan works out for you.?

Image Credit

Source: http://salexanderresearch.com/simple-strategic-planning-for-small-business/

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