Yesterday we published a great business quote. If you didn’t see it, here it is again …
Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf
Kinda funny, yet very true. Obviously, we are not here to ask whether or not you are of good character. DSC cannot help you with that one. But, let’s talk about strategy for a second. Do you have one? Do you have a plan for your business or are you just winging it?
Let’s face it. Every January we start the year bright-eyed and eager to fulfill all our goals. Sometimes the goals are simple, like get a few houses in such and such subdivision. Sometimes they are very specific, like increase waterfed pole business by 12%. However you plan then, it often goes out the window by July. Clients are calling left and right; everyone wants clean windows. When you are making money hand-over-fist, there is no time to think about goals, plans and strategies. Or, is there?!
July is actually a great time to stop and re-assess. Pull out that crumpled up piece of paper from New Year’s Eve. Open that long-ignored word doc. Actually take the time to read it! Maybe you need to be reminded of your initial plan. Maybe you are right on track. Or, maybe, your business took a pleasant, yet unexpected turn in a different direction.
I had an amazingly perceptive accountant that used to tell me, “There is you, your spouse and your business. You can guide the business, but it is it’s own, separate entity. It will go the way it wants to; you can only control so much.” In our case, this was always true. In yours, maybe not so much.
Some small business owners crunch numbers and assess goals monthly or even weekly. If you are not one of them, make the time to do so this week. Squeeze just 30 minutes out of your schedule to read over your strategy for 2013. Make adjustments, if you need to. Have a plan for the rest of the year 🙂