Understand Why Keeping Your Written Business Plan Current Is Key To Success

Business Plans only work if you keep at it

In many ways, running your business from a plan is similar to keeping fit through regular exercise. We all know its good for us, but keeping up the habit can be a challenge.

And like exercise, keeping your business plan alive and well is easier if its done in small steps rather than trying to tackle every aspect of your business at once.

A big challenge for most business leaders is finding the time to plan. Calendars fill up quickly. One way to ensure you take the time to plan and think about your business is to make an appointment with yourself. Schedule dates to review parts of the plan fairly often, every month or so. Log in and review and update the section or sections that need attention, or that have become a priority for you.

Remember you can edit your plan at any time as events occur and new ideas spring to mind.

We suggest a full review of your plan with your management team each quarter or season. These dates should be scheduled yearly in advance, and placed on everyone’s calendar.

You may want to consider using a coach.

In order to stick with an exercise program, some of us work better with a partner or a coach. This same approach may be necessary for your discipline of business planning.

A business coach can hold you accountable to stay on track with your planning process and also help you work through the various sections of your plan.

Of course, involving your leadership team and employees is the best way to get committed to, and maintain a planning schedule. Once your team is engaged, an internal accountability will kick in.  If you are the not the best person in your group to keep the program on schedule, find a process champion in the company who will follow through to keep the rest of the team on task.

A regular business plan work-out will make your company healthy and strong. Hey, you’re doing great, keep it up.