I’ve spent the past couple of weeks building a shed in my
back garden. Already I hear you ask, what does that have to
do with business? As I was building the shed, I realized
how similar it was to building a business. Wait, and I’ll
explain more.
Metaphorically speaking, building a shed is very similar to
building a business. There are many ingredients that you
need, and missing any one of them out will mean the results
will range from achieving nothing to the disastrous. But
one ingredient stands head and shoulders above the rest.
It’s a simple four letter word…
… P-L-A-N.
With a clear focused plan, and the right amount of
knowledge and experience, you know exactly what materials
and tools you need. With enough focus, hard work and
persistence, you simply follow the plan to achieve the end
result.
Let’s go back to the example of building a shed, and
examine what might happen if you had no plan, or just say a
quick sketch on a scrap of paper to rely on:
- You would struggle to know what materials you needed, and
have to make repeated trips to the hardware store, greatly
reducing the efficient use of your time and needlessly
wasting your energy.
- When you start to build, the various parts will likely
not fit together properly. As a result, you will either
have to start again, or carry on, trying to patch it up as
you go along. Of course, it’s demoralizing, you may lose
faith in yourself, and give up altogether.
- If you manage to continue, the end result is likely to
look shoddy, unprofessional, and cheap – and it will be a
lasting, and embarrassing reminder of your approach.
But such a result is so easy – really, it is *so* easy – to
avoid.
If you spend your time more efficiently before you even
start, and develop a clear plan that you feel confident in,
let us see what happens:
- You can work out exactly what materials you need, and
make a trip or two to the hardware store to get them.
- You can follow the plan to build the shed, and fit the
various parts together to achieve a solid construction that
is both fit for purpose and aesthetically-appealing.
- The end result will look professional, and one you can
feel proud of.
And you know what, it will also do wonders for your
confidence and self-esteem – you will be planning bigger
and better sheds in your sleep that before you wouldn’t
have even dreamed of attempting. Yes, I am metaphorically
referring back to business, so let’s get straight, and see
exactly how this applies to your business.
Without a plan, your results will be unintended by
definition. You are instead relying on a throw of the dice,
for luck to shine on you, for good fortune to fall at your
feet.
If you plan, you are planning to achieve a specific result
- and your results are much more likely to be as intended,
or at least, some way towards them. Of course, you can
never predict exactly what will happen, but reach for the
stars and you may at least hit the moon! And the experience
you gain along the way is one of the most important assets
for your business.
The first time I developed a plan for my business, and
followed it through, my business doubled in a few short
months. Developing a plan meant I had to define a target,
and then define a plan to achieve it.
A plan gave me both focus and clarity – I knew what I
wanted to achieve and how to achieve it. It encouraged me
to ignore distractions, and remain focused on the plan – if
I stayed on track with the plan, I could achieve the result
I wanted.
In fact, I believe it is the single most important
ingredient of all. With a plan, you know what else you
need, like the following:
1. The right materials and tools – what do you need to
achieve the result you are planning for?
2. The right knowledge and experience – don’t worry if you
don’t have it, you can find someone who does, and learn!
For example, there are countless successful Internet
marketers for example who can barely construct a web page.
So what should you do now? Quite simply, define a target
you want to reach, formulate a plan to reach it, and follow
it until you reach your goal!
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Steve Shaw develops systems and software to help you
succeed in your online business. For example, his article
distribution service at http://www.submityourarticle.com
will distribute YOUR article to hundreds of web sites with
the click of a button.
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