Strategic planning doesn’t need to be painful.

Please read this before you hire a consultant!

If you hire a management consultant or marketing agency to lead you through strategic planning you are almost guaranteed to get a BIG bill, and a pretty PowerPoint that will not be used in your day-to-day work. This is a total waste of time and money – don’t do it!

For most small business owners, you don’t need (and can’t afford) that. You know your business better than anyone, and you have a strategy in your head. What you need is a way to get it out of your head and into a structure that can be communicated to your team, your investors and will lead to clear, efficient action towards your vision.

If this sounds like you, keep reading.

Over the last 20 years we’ve done tons of strategic plans, and seen it done dozens of ways. We’ve taken all this learning and developed an efficient, effective and simple process that can be done on your own, or with a little support from our team. No big bill, no complex long process. Just a clean, clear action-oriented strategic plan ready to be put to use in building your business.

Hate strategic planning? Then Map your Path!

Mapping your strategy is worth a little time

Many folks have an aversion to strategic planning. They say “how will I know what things will look like in three years and who cares anyway?”

But believe me…if you don’t take a little time to map your direction, you are at great risk of wasting a ton of time, effort and money.

Think about your business like a long trip. If you were in New York, and you wanted to go to LA, would you head West without a map or GPS? You would want to plan the route that would get your there efficiently, and one which would be most effective for the goals of the trip. That is what a strategic plan should be. A map of your journey from where your business is today, to where you want it to be 3 years from now.

You are correct, you don’t know what will happen in 3 years, but by plotting your course you will head in the right direction today, and get smarter every day in the pursuit of your vision. If you check in at least once a year, and update your plan accordingly your journey is far more likely to be successful than if you leave it to chance.

Never hire a marketing agency for strategic planning

You can lead your own planning work!

Marketing agencies love to sell you their services, often starting with your vision or mission, and quickly moving towards strategic planning. Yet too many of these agencies focus on how things “look” and not the deeper value of the work.

As a business owner you know that first and foremost you must have great content. You must serve your customers with a great product. You must interact with them in an authentic and brand-consistent manner that leaves them feeling great. Sure you want your business to look good, but if you want a strong business start with the basics. Action-oriented strategic planning.

As a small business owner you know your business. You know your customers. You know your strategy. Yet you may not have it articulated in an efficient, action-oriented way. That’s where Wholebiz Advisors comes in. We can help you build this plan on your own, or offer you a little help to get it done.

Don’t hire an agency for this work, get our free template and do it yourself.