|
It may seem quite bizarre but our
experience is that most businesses do not have a clear
understanding of WHERE they are heading and importantly
HOW they will get there. This is completely at
odds with the belief of the business owners and its not
until they are questioned closely about this do the gaps
start to appear.
In their defence, many business owners
do have a "fuzzy picture" of their future but they
usually do not have the clarity of vision that is
required for significant growth and profits.
Importantly, this fuzzy picture is usually a linear
("straight line") progression of the current business
into the future. rather than a "big step" improvement.
For business success it is essential
that you have a clearly documented Vision for where you
would like to be. This defines the end-point - where are
we heading?
It is also critical that your business
has clearly defined strategies that will differentiate
your business in the marketplace.
"The key point of business is to be
different!"
However, most businesses strive to be
exactly the same as their competitors! They deliver
similar products and services at similar prices to the
same customers.
Don't believe me? Then try this simple
test - open your local Yellow Pages Phonebook to an area
that you are familiar with eg. lawyers, accountants,
carpet cleaners. Now, cover up the logos and business
names and see if you can differentiate the businesses
based on their ads. Usually, the majority of businesses
make the same claims about their services and it is very
difficult to tell them apart. Take note of the odd few
ads that are really different and see how they usually
create a very different picture of the businesses.
Developing your business strategy is a
critical part of developing a plan for the future. At
SBD, we spend time with our clients to guide them
through a range of structured processes aimed at
assisting them to build a clearly differentiated model
for their future business.
Once we are clear on the Strategy, then
we move onto assisting our clients in developing a
structured action plan for implementation. This provides
a clear program of action that enables to determine the
team, resourcing and cashflow implications of the
proposed strategies.
We then support our clients throughout
the Implementation Phase by providing proactive coaching
services that are delivered in a variety of ways - from
face-to-face to video conferencing to on-line coaching
and training.
For information on our approach to
Business
Coaching Support - click here.
The key elements required to develop a
quality strategic plan include:
-
a shared Vision for the future
-
effective communication between
participants
-
clarity of purpose
-
an effective business model
-
a structured action plan with
clearly defined priorities.
We are available to assist you and your
business and/or organisation develop a strategic plan
in a variety of ways:
-
Facilitated group processes for
your Team - for larger organisations where there
is a need to have input from a larger number of
stakeholders. Workshops are supplemented with
on-line and telephone interviews to increase
ownership and impact while reducing costs.
-
Individual coaching and support
for CEOs and Owners - This is an intensive
program of plan development, problem solving and
support process for small to medium businesses,
where we work primarily with the owners and/or the
CEO. Usually conducted face-to-face and supplemented
with on-line coaching support tools.
-
On-line coaching and support
- this program is ideal for business owners who are
restricted by location (proximity to us) or budget.
Our comprehensive on-line coaching and training
programs are supplemented by regular phone, video
conference contact and email. Where possible, the
online and telephone support is also supplemented by
annual, quarterly or semi-annual face-to-face
sessions.
All programs are tailored to suit the
individual needs and budget of our clients. For more
information and pricing on our Strategic Planning and
Support Services - click here
to contact us about your specific requirements.
|
