Business plan
My plan when I first started was to get as much work as I could. What was the point of doing more than this? Well, three things now come to mind, for example, where is my business going in the:
- Short term
- Medium term
- Long term?
I was only thinking short term – wrong again!
A business plan sets out your strategy and action plan for the next one to three years, or sometimes longer.
- As part of the process, you set concrete objectives and plan how you will achieve them
- Writing a business plan helps you focus and develop your ideas. Priorities are identified. Non-priorities are dropped, saving precious time
- Putting the plan in writing makes it easier to spot any gaps where you have more to do
- Once written, the plan is a benchmark for the performance of the business
- By involving your employees in the complete planning process, you continue to build up a successful, committed team
- A business plan is essential if you are raising finance from a bank or outside investors
- It can also help to convince customers, suppliers and potential employees to support you.
Having a simple business plan will help you say yes to some things but even more important it will help you to say no to others.
Whose problem?
A customer’s problem is not our problem; we are their solution. It is not our fault the new parts cost a lot, it is not our fault that it is a long complex job. And it is definitely not our fault that they can’t afford the car they are driving.
I was much too soft and would fall for a sob story. Not anymore. We can be understanding but price up the job properly or just say no.
But really the answer here, is about the type of customers we attract in the first place. Our marketing needs to reflect this, so more about marketing next time.