Small Business Revitalization Blog

Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place!  What is a smart business owner to do?

The bottom line is that action without a plan will send you round in circles faster than a one-armed canoeist! Whether it is a business plan, a project plan or a ‘to do’ list of daily priorities, it is essential to have a written reference point that will keep you focused and motivated. (By the way – your business plan needs to be strategic and action focused - forget 50 or 100 page doorstoppers – make sure you use a 5 page “door opening” business plan instead!).

Management guru, Peter Drucker got it mostly right when he contended: “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” Once you have a plan, you have goals and parameters for action – whether or not you make it into hard work or easy work is up to you!! The important thing is to take action.

You can use your plan to:

• Stop chasing ‘shiny new objects’ – you know what you need to focus your energy on to be successful.
• Identify and remove inefficiencies, tolerances and frustrations – and watch your productivity increase!
• Leverage the right opportunities and say no to the opportunities which don’t fit your plan.
• Prioritise daily actions that will make the biggest difference to your business success – stop running from crisis to crisis.
• Recognise and address the constraints and gaps between where you are now and where you plan to be in future.
•  Minimise procrastination and maximize motivation as you see results from your focused efforts.
• Create stability and sustainable decision-making practices in your business.

Most importantly, using your plan, you’ll quickly move closer to achieving your vision – with less effort, less mistakes, less resources and less time – all because you planned for success!

What is your biggest planning challenge as a small business owner? Share it in the comments section below. If you need to know more about door-opening business plans, call the Revitalisation Experts!

Try taking the following steps:

1. Identify in detail ‘the knowledge gap’. Also consider: Is it really a showstopper? Could I start without closing the gap? Are you being a perfectionist? Take some advice from Robert Schuller: “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.

2. Identify as many ways as possible to ‘close the gap’ – for example: taking a course or seminar, using a coach or mentor, researching the topic online or at your local library, requesting assistance from a relevant government agency, volunteering with an organization that has the knowledge or reading widely on the topic. Of course, you do not have to be the person to ‘close the gap’ – consider outsourcing, consultants, employees, or using your networks to fill in the knowledge/experience gap you have identified.

3. Mind the Gap! Create an action plan for closing your gap, based on the options you identified above. Put timelines to your plan. Identify a reward for yourself for closing the gap. Take Action! Become committed to closing your gaps or choosing to start your business despite the gaps – you’ll get to enjoy the satisfaction of working on your own business much sooner!

What is the biggest knowlede 'gap' you currently face as a small business owner? How has it impacted your business?  What have you done about it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you'd like to find out if the Resuscitation Experts can help you close the gap, contact us for a free 30 minute consultation!  We give our clients access to phenomenal resources!

1. Buy or build your own?
2. Staff or no staff?
3. Do or delegate?
4. Indoor or outdoor?
5. Work hard or work smart?
6. Online or bricks & mortar?
7. Lots of people contact or not?
8. Creative or logical?
9. Capital intensive or at-home start-up?
10. Ideas: innovative or copycat?
11. Secure income or new venture?
12. High workload or systems oriented?
13. You: self-employed or chief resource coordinator?
14. Product/Service: fun, meaningful or serious?
15. Work time: flexible or structured?
16. Individuals or teams?
17. Existing customer base or build-up from scratch?
18. Your talents and passions or any business?
19. Automated business or tied to the business?
20. Growth potential or cash-flow now?

For extra insights, you can also clarify ‘why’ you chose the answer you did. Again, patterns will emerge and you will identify a clear direction for your business search. Once you have a clear picture of the business structure and design which will work for you and your ideal lifestyle, start to investigate business opportunities which meet your criteria.

What is your biggest challenge in starting a small business of your own? Share it in the comments section below. If you need to share more than just a comment, call the Start-Up Experts!