Better planning will get you better results

Planning helps businesses chart a course to achieve its long term goals. The process begins with reviewing where the business has come from and then identifying what needs to change in the future. From there, planning involves visioning the results the business wants to achieve, and determining the steps necessary to arrive at the intended destination.

All businesses, large and small, have limited time. The planning process provides the information management needs to make effective decisions about how and where to allocate there effort in a way that will enable the business to reach its goals.

Setting goals every 90 days that challenge everyone in the business to strive for better performance is one of the most important parts of the planning process. Goals must be SMART which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time framed. Businesses shouldn’t let themselves become too satisfied with how they are currently doing as they may lose out to their competitors. The 90 day goal setting process can help make sure that you stay on track to achieve your 1, 3 and 5 year goals.

Even the largest businesses cannot control the economic and competitive environment around them so completing a PEST analysis helps businesses carefully think through what the outside world might throw at them. When you also add a SWOT analysis to the planning process you make sure that your goals are focussed at the areas that need the focus the most and the areas that will reward your effort the most.

Planning promotes team building and a spirit of cooperation. When the plan is completed and communicated to the team, everyone knows what their responsibilities are, and how other areas of the business need each other’s help.

“Success is everyone in your business pulling in the same direction”