Create a Living, Breathing Business Plan
Something interesting happens when you take what's in your head and put it down on paper–it frees up a lot of space for better ideas to come through. --Maria Marsala
There are many reasons why creating a "living breathing" document is important. I find that while many know they "should" create a plan, there are many reasons it never gets written. One of those reasons is "the business will change in the next 12-months," so why create something for a business that will keep changing. Yet, no matter how long someone has been "in business" or "in career," the first time a plan is created it's usual that many changes will take place during the year. You know, something interesting happens when you take what's in your head and put it down on paper–it frees up a lot of space for better ideas to come through.
There are many reasons why creating a "living breathing" document is important. I find that while many know they "should" create a plan, there are many reasons it never gets written. One of those reasons is "the business will change in the next 12-months," so why create something for a business that will keep changing. Yet, no matter how long someone has been "in business" or "in career," the first time a plan is created it's usual that many changes will take place during the year. You know, something interesting happens when you take what's in your head and put it down on paper–it frees up a lot of space for better ideas to come through.
A plan may also change because as you execute your strategies you will learn, grow and analyze what you created. You’ll want to change any strategy that isn’t bringing you the results you thought it would by tweaking the strategy, or if that doesn’t work, get rid of it and replace it with something much better. Changing who you work with--your ideal clients--may change some of your marketing strategies. Here's one of the rules I give my clients in regards to changing their plan. We work together to assure that their plan has in it the key--most critical--initiatives. So the only way they can add a new strategy is IF they’re willing to take a strategy away. This way, you assure yourself that you're not just changing your plan for the sake of changing it--you're changing it to add something much better.
-Maria Marsala, founder of Elevating Your Business, in AdvisorMax expert forum Creating a 1-Page Business Plan to Grow Your Practice
-Maria Marsala, founder of Elevating Your Business, in AdvisorMax expert forum Creating a 1-Page Business Plan to Grow Your Practice
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