For many of you, just getting through all you have to do in a day is challenging enough. You don't have time for lunch, let alone time to just think about your business and its direction. And spend time writing it all down? Forget about it.
But not taking the time to think about your business and hone your strategic plan, in today's world, is a VERY big mistake. Probably the surest way to find yourself in trouble much sooner than later.
If I asked the question: who are you and what do you do? how many of you would be able to answer? If you can't, uh oh. If you can, would I be able to see who you are and what you do in your marketing materials? Your customer service? The clients you get? Your pricing? In the composition of your employees' skills? In how you structure your day? Would I be able to see new business possibilties? Would I know what market you were in?
By forcing yourself to think about who you are and what you do, you will discover for yourself where you are going — right and wrong. You will see the strengths of your business and markets you are reaching that you didn't know you were (or could). Writing it all down is the best way to pass the smell test. If your not feeling it when you write it or after you read it back, then you know you have to change it until you are there.
Doing start-of-the-year and/or mid-year strategic plans is wonderful and necessary. What I am advocating here though is a daily (ok, weekly) practice. After all, your business is alive, always changing, whether you see it or not. You are constantly flooded with information — from your clients, your vendors, your employees and the media. It is too much to sort through every day, let alone once or twice a year. What you are doing in January may literally be irrelevant in September. Without dedicating time in your day to examine all that your business is and how it operates, you are letting the market tell you how your business will run. For you to succeed long-term, it has to be the other way around.
So who are you and what do you do?
{ 5 comments }
Such a great post. Reading this as part of our education time here in the office today. This past week, I saw so many photographers who are sort of flailing around trying to find an identity rather than asking the hard questions and defining their brand based on who they ARE… and in turn having a foundation on which to develop a clear strategy for success. Amazing what putting plans on paper will do for you. Thank you for posting this, Sean. So needed.
You can’t even believe how timely this post is! Thank you for speaking directly to me even though you didn’t know you were doing that! Some dear industry friends were telling me I should be doing something that {in my gut} I knew did not fit my brand. But I listened and thought, ‘Well, maybe I should be doing that.’ And the fact is, I shouldn’t. This post is a good reminder that I must be true to my brand, no matter what. THANK YOU, Sean!
As if this was written just for me…this post gives me perfect direction for my “Next Steps”.
I am just officially getting started and have been seeking balance between the creative aspect and the business of the business. Thanks for asking these tough, but necessary questions for success!
I’m late on reading this but.. WOW. I need to refer to this post as the “guide” for some many clients who come to me for coaching and help. Many dont get what I mean when I spell it out like you did here. You of course do it so eloquently and I am a big fan of you and your teachings.. thanks!
Really should be doing this – good post.