You can certainly plan your way to success if you create a focused plan and action steps. The definition of the word plan says it all, a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.
A plan can mean many things to different people.
The purpose of making a plan is to clarify where you want to go and the actions that will take you there. When you have a clear-cut plan in front of you each day, you have a clear direction, eliminate distractions, and keep yourself accountable.
Before planning your journey, you must know where you are going.
The first step is defining your business’s vision, mission, and value. A defined purpose for your business helps team members understand their focus.
The vision is what directs your company, like the north star.
Your vision statement will guide your business into the future. Your vision should be emotional and inspire you and your team and engage your customers. If you are looking for investors, a compelling vision statement is essential.
Your vision is not only how your business will look in the future but how it will make an impact.
A mission statement differs because it describes what your company does presently.
There are three parts to a mission statement: what you do, how you do it, and why you do it. Your mission statement is for both members of your organization and your potential and existing clients.
Your mission should address your winning idea, why your business was founded, what distinguishes your company from others, and what you want to achieve. How will you measure success (which may not be a revenue goal but a customer experience)?
Simon Sinek offers advice on vision and mission statements in this blog post.
The values of your organization are your core principles and ethics.
It should inform your team and guide their decisions and behaviors. The values you establish will create your culture.
Another way to plan your way to success is through brainstorming.
You may have also heard the term brain dumping. I have heard the difference between the two is simply that brain dumping is brainstorming written down.
Brainstorming or brain dumping can be done in a group or by yourself. If you don’t have a team, you may have a trusted advisor, coach, or accountability partner who can help. But be sure to document those great ideas. Some you may be able to implement now, and some may need to be parked for future use. Create a documenting system that allows you to keep your information together. You can use a notes app, Google Docs, or a journal. The idea is to have a place to capture your thoughts and be able to find them when you are ready to implement them.
Now that your business’s vision, mission, and value are defined, you will need a content plan to get the word out to potential clients.
Your content plan is the structure you use to determine what content will be used and the processes for implementation.
To create an effective content plan, you should consider:
- How to align your topics, themes, and messaging.
- What would your target audience find relevant or helpful?
- Will you need to follow industry standards for seasonal or promotional time frames?
- What type of content are your competitors using, and is it practical for your target audience?
- How can you repurpose content to get more bang for your buck?
You will need to build a strong foundation for your content plan. This will help you better execute your content with a map to stay on course.
Spending time developing these key elements will help you plan your way to success.
