A strategy is like a road map that helps you get to your desired destination. It’s an outline of the intentional actions you will take and the decisions you will make to attain your business goals and objectives. In a nutshell your strategy maps out the “how.”
So, why is a strategy needed for your business? Because you may know what you want to do but without the strategy to do it you may see:
Years and years to pass without accomplishing your goals.
Remain unclear on how to operate in your God-given purpose.
Feel indecisive about your personal and business goals.
You may know about my first business, Signature Events & Marketing. Honestly, I never intended to start Signature. I was asked to provide event planning services for an event and I then started receiving calls to do eBlast marketing and social media communication for other events in the city. Things were coming at me so fast, I had to decide if I was going to continue as “yes, I can help you” or launch an official business. So, I decided to become an entrepreneur!
This transition was not just setting up my business from a legal perspective. I had to determine what I wanted to do and exactly how I was going to do it. I had absolutely no strategy to launch, sustain or grow my business. I had to intentionally slow things down (I was getting work back-to-back).
It was time to determine my strategy and launch my business.
After 14 years, I closed Signature and launched Janice M. Haynes LLC. Because I knew the importance of having a strategy, I took the time upfront to do just that. As my business grows, I continually create strategies for my next level. I’ve chosen to be very intentional about my success.
Have you ever wondered why some businesses are successful and others aren’t? Could it be that they never created the strategy for intentional success?
Taking the time to create a strategy has made a major difference in my business! Here’s just a few of the questions I asked myself.
What is the overall vision for my business? What service will I provide and what problem will I solve?
What’s on my mind and how can I get it all on paper through a brain dump? This allows me to get all my thoughts and ideas on paper. It alleviates the stress of trying to remember things and helps organize thoughts and ideas.
What should I organize and prioritize? I organize my thoughts in the priority I want to accomplish them, even determining wants vs. needs based on my overall vision.
What are the important questions I need to answer for my strategy?
a. Are my SMART goals? Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-
bound. If you need help creating SMART goals, check out the May blog post.
b. Who will I service?
c. How will I achieve these goals? What exactly will be required (strategies, tactics,
and resources) for me to accomplish my goal?
Take the time to determine your strategy and be intentional about having a successful business. If you take the time on the front-end, make it a part of your business model and you will see the rewards of your efforts.
Are you ready to transition from “yes, I can help you with that” to business--from stuck to immediate action? Ready to create the strategy needed for intentional business success?