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Strategic Planning InformationBusiness Planning and the ?Bozo? Factor?Bozo? ? A clown with a forlorn look, always finding negative implications in every activity or event. A person who tries to find a way to prevent you from moving ahead, giving excuses such as ?we?ve always done it this way, or this is not our culture? when presented a new opportunity or challenge. Normally associated with people who are uncomfortable with learning new techniques, processes, or relationships. Thinking Like A FarmerOne of the difficulties we face in our industrialized age is the fact we've lost our sense of seasons. Unlike the farmer whose priorities change with the seasons, we have become impervious to the natural rhythm of life. As a result, we have our priorities out of balance. Business Ideas: 3 Smart Ways To Generate Profitable Business Ideas AnytimeCreativity is one of the greatest tools for success in business. Business Strategy Planning Made EasyAsk Yourself three simple questions that affect your strategy planning...What direction is my business going in?How do I create my business strategy so that I can position myself as a leader in my industry?Where do I go to find out information about business strategy planning? More Uses for Your Business PlanYou have invested a lot of time and energy on writing a business plan just to get a loan or to attract an investor. What do you do when you get the money or, worse, should you be turned down? 6 Steps To Laying Out Your Competitive StrategyWhy do so many companies languish and watch as their business turns into a zero profit zone, while others seem to thrive? Is Your Company Growing Fast Enough for You?Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your firm, or the effort required to squeeze any up-tick in performance? Are inadequate policies and procedures a root cause? To find out, take this simple self assessment to see if this may be inhibiting real growth at your company. Becoming Wise - Wild & Free - Writing A Successful Business Plan - Part 2 - Do It In StepsSo you've decided to write your own business plan because you know the value that the experience will give you. With the books and software that are out there today you can probably sit down and complete the plan in a day or so, right? Plug in the numbers, add the notes, write the whole narrative (story), print it and get it out to the banks or investors. Hunters and Gatherers - Are You Serving Both Their Needs?The University of Exeter in the United Kingdom recently published research financed by Barclays Bank, which has implications for everyone who is serving the general population. Top 10 Tips to Create A Business Plan! (For People Who Hate Business Plans)One of the key challenges for any business is to remain focused and invest resources for maximum pay-off. It's said that 80% of a business's activity accounts for only 20% of total profits. In plain language, most of the work we do is unfocused, poorly designed and ineffective. In today's competitive world, no business, whether it's an individual professional or a large manufacturing operation, can survive with that much lost time and wasted effort. A business plan can help, but most small business owners (and some managers/supervisors) hate doing them! In the spirit that any map is better than no map, here are my top ten keys to creating your own map to success: Writing Your Business Plan is Actually StorytellingStorytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in hand. The same ingredients used in telling a story are also used in writing a business plan. Let?s use the Executive Summary as an example. How to Start A Business PlanA business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm's resume. The basic components include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. Because it provides specific and organized information about your company and how you will repay borrowed money, a good business plan is a crucial part of any loan application. Additionally, it informs sales personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals. The Power of PlanningI am surprised how few sales professionals, independent consultants, and small business owners take the time to plan the strategy for their business. Most people spend more time writing out a grocery list or planning a vacation than they do planning the direction or outcome of their business. Many will determine a vague or general idea of what they want to accomplish but very few actually identify the specific action steps they will need to take in order to achieve their goals. I?m not suggesting you create a 25-30 page business plan like a good friend of mine writes every year, but I do recommend that you begin outlining the goals you want to accomplish and how you plan to get there. When Do I Need To Hire A Business Plan ConsultantEvery new business owner knows that a business plan is critical ? it is drilled into them by potential investors and every banking officer they meet. So why is something that is so important to the launch of a new venture so difficult to write? Good question! In this article I will try to address when you should go out and hire a business plan writer versus taking on the task yourself. First time entrepreneurs often cringe when sitting down to write their business plan. Some spend 6 months agonizing over each period and comma, and even worse others spend 6 months procrastinating and do nothing. So lets break it down and see where / when a business planning company should be brought in: The Chief Cause of Business Failure & SuccessBusiness rises and falls on leadership. According to business guru, Brian Tracy, ?Leadership is the most important single factor in determining business success or failure in our competitive, turbulent, fast-moving economy.? Still not convinced? Based on a study by Jessie Hagen of the US Bank, here are the main reasons why businesses fail:
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