I don't know about you, but I don't like GPS. Like I absolutely detest it.
I'm a map girl (digital, with streetview!). Even if there is GPS available, or if I'm driving somewhere new and I'm by myself, I will always check out a map first to get my bearings. I need a visual overview, so that I can see the 'big picture' before I start listening to computerised lady (who often gets confused, especially in the hills of Wellington). If I'm going into unfamiliar territory and I don't have a map....I feel completely and utterly lost before I even start my journey. And to put my complete trust in a computerised talking lady SERIOUSLY scares the heck out of me!
I can't even count the number of times have people turned up at our house, saying "Sorry we're late, the GPS took us to the other side of town!". OMG. I live in Feilding, yo. Population 14,000. I'm pretty sure you couldn't get lost if you tried.
I liken the traditional notion of a "Business Plan" to GPS. Okay, so by now I must appear to be Mrs "Anti-business-plan". Well I'm actually not (say what?!). Traditional business plans do have their place. And for some, traditional business plans really, really work.
They just don't work for me. (Believe me, I've tried! And tried. And tried).
Here's what a business plan is supposed to be:
A ROAD MAP FOR YOUR BUSINESS,
THAT OUTLINES YOUR GOALS,
WHERE YOU WANT TO GO,
AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
Simple right? So how did it get to be so daunting and complicated?! Our typical business plan mindset, in handy bullet points right here:
- We have this thought that a Business Plan has to be a 30 page, formal document, written as if it's a submission for a university paper.
- We think that the extensive bullet point list under the "Table of Contents" is far too daunting and technical. It is.
- We usually go to write a Business Plan for 'someone else' (bank, investor, business advisor, imaginary critic), and not for ourselves.
- We attempt to write what we think we are supposed to write, and not about what we truly want.
- We have this idea that a business plan is a static document, that it's a requirement for business, and that at its completion it gets published (print or digital) and filed away. Yippee I finished my business plan! Tick! And we go off and run our business the way we want to (and often not according to the 'plan')
For a long time, when I was running my very first business, I thought I hadn't finished my business plan. Year after year, I would reprimand myself for having to write my business plan all over again. And it would take months! Write write write. Change change change. Give up. Look at it again the following year and say "well that didn't happen like that, and no I haven't achieved those goals, and oh! I forgot I wanted to do that!". And start over. Again. And again. And I would keep altering it as circumstances changed and when things didn't work out the way I had expected. I actually felt like I had never properly started my business, because I was still in 'planning' mode!
It wasn't until someone told me, probably five years into business, that a business plan isn't actually meant to be a static document. Check this out:
"It's a living, moving, dynamic foundation for you to build your AMAZING business and life upon, which should neither restrict or limit you, but should embrace your ideas and ideals, and allow you and your business to build, grow, evolve and shine." - Christall Lowe (yup, me).
I do believe that's a pretty awesome description.
So how do you do this? How do you get past the mindset of the traditional business plan, and actually start producing something that works the way it's meant to? And how do you work WITH it? (As opposed to filing it away and doing your own thing)
Here's the thing, and it's purely my own opinion, but I think I'm pretty much right on the money. As much as business plans are thorough, detailed, and do work for many, there are two critical components that are always missing.
And the first one is a MAJOR FACTOR, which I believe is one of the many reasons business plans 'fail'. Why they seem so unachievable to produce in the first place, and why visions and goals are often not met. The reason I believe traditional business plans are obsolete, especially given the unique dynamics of business today, is because such a crucial part, a vital component, is seriously missing from the whole equation!
LIFE.
Yes, life! Our lives. The things we do, the things that happen to us, the things we value, the day to day. The curveballs. The meteors. Our own personal goals and dreams. Our family dynamic. The lifestyle we live. This very real thing in which we, and our businesses, exist.
Life happens, guys. And as far as I have experienced, an "Executive Summary" and a "Target Market Segment Strategy" just don't take 'life happening' into account. So when life throws stuff at us, which it does, good and bad, it's like the business plan responds with an error message. GPS lady gets confused. And the document can in a sense become 'corrupt' because it doesn't correspond to our current circumstances. Or doesn't realise your new dreams. Or thinks you're going off in a new direction - which sometimes you are, and it's good!
And the other absolute essential factor that I believe is missing from the traditional planning approach?
REVIEW.
How often do we review our plan? Our goals? How often do we measure our success and failure? I find it really hard, when in order to review your plan, you have to read through what has become more like your business "how-to" manual. Yawwwwwwwn. So I just didn't do it. But really, this is so crucial. It needs to be scheduled in. Monthly at least, if not weekly or fortnightly. But it shouldn't be a task.
I came up with a fantastic way to combat the ole traditional planning approach because it simply didn't work for me. As a creative, the A4 spiral bound document did nothing to excite me, or motivate me. I also needed a change in mindset about what a business plan actually was, and I needed a fresh approach to getting it all out of my head and onto paper.
Note: very important - getting it out of your head and onto paper. I will talk in a post soon about how committing your goals to writing can significantly increase your chances of achieving them.
And I hereby named it: CREATIVE BUSINESS MAPPING.
It totally rocks. I'm telling you!
Mapping will INSPIRE, MOTIVATE and EQUIP you, and IGNITE your business soul. It will allow you to share your gift with the world, to grow your business, and let your business grow you. It will align your personal hopes, dreams and goals with your business hopes, dreams and goals.You will learn the art of YOUR business.
My new e-workbook due to be launched in September will guide you step by step, in creating YOUR DREAM MAP. In a way that demystifies the so called 'requirements' of a traditional business plan, and in a way that will absolutely inspire and motivate you in your business to build, grow, evolve and shine.
It's all about keeping it real, keeping it authentic, and aligning with your personal goals and desires. And it's absolutely about seeing the big picture, and creating something that allows you to clearly see your direction, and especially, to realise your business dreams.
AND....HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR MAP. So very important! I'll be your tour guide, helping you to navigate the 4 major obstacles, that WILL occur:
DISTRACTIONS & ATTRACTIONS
BUMPS IN THE ROAD
DETOURS & DELAYS
ROAD BLOCKS
My next blog goes into these obstacles in some detail, and how I navigated my very own "all of the above" just recently. Quite an experience, and thankfully I didn't get lost. Yay! In fact, it's possibly made me a better driver of my plan.
I have an incredibly amazing early bird offer for the launch of my ebook, so make sure you're signed up to my newsletter for advanced notice. The shiny new cover is almost done, I'm so excited!
Are you with me?
Lets do this.
Time to shine baby.
Christall x
Labels: BUSINESS, creative, mapping, PLANNING, VISION
