A lot of people like music. So much so that sometimes you can see the fingers thumping to a tune broadcast through the iPhone’s iTunes App. So much so that it got me to thinking about how cool it would be to create a series of iPhone Apps that work with iTunes and a One Page Business Plan®.
Don’t worry. I am sure that once the Apps community gets hold of these ideas they will be developed – and then we will get to use them. (Hint – to fully enjoy, remember to click on the song title!)
But let me ask you two questions –
- How have you prepared your business for 2018 – and beyond?
- How many of your employees understand your business – and why is this important?
I Can See Clearly Now
Yes, Johnny Nash had it right. He saw that the rain had gone and he had a bright sun-sunshiny day. This song hums in the background as you and your team are preparing your business vision, identifying what you are building, what are your products and services, what markets will you serve, and what your sales targets are.
It works quickly, just like the song, and sprints along as you fill in the blanks to the vision template supplied.
Theme From Mission: Impossible
That’s right; you can see the IM team racing through the previews to hear the message from the boss about the new episode’s mission as composed by Lalo Schifrin or more recently by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. The mission is a timeless one, but it helps the team race along to answer why they are building their company, especially identifying what their competitive edge is and what they want to be known for.
What’s The Point?
Yes, according to Ladybug Landslide’s song by the same name, we need to get real specific about what results we will measure, you know, how much you want to increase sales, how much you want for net profit – real specific numbers, especially so that you can track them monthly, quarterly, and yearly. What’s the point if you don’t specify objectives that you can then accomplish? Well?
Compared To What?
Well, for those who know me, I guess you figured I would get Les McCann’s and Eddie Harris’ signature song from Swiss Movement in the mix. You see, we need to understand how we are going to build this business over time, how we will attract and retain customers, how we’ll differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Our business strategies need to be real – compared to what? You need to state them, and then develop objectives and action plans to implement your strategies.
Yes, I can hear it now…”Tryin’ to make it real — compared to what?”
If you run a small business and have an interest in developing a truly awesome, inspiring, business plan, consider a discussion with me on the merits of a One Page Business Plan®.