Creating A Successful Business Through Planning discusses the importance of strategic planning for business success. It states that businesses with strategic plans tend to be more profitable and have owners who work less hours. The document then defines strategic business planning as the process of setting goals and objectives for the business and creating an action plan to achieve them. It provides tips for developing a strategic plan, including defining the business vision and values, creating 3 and 5 year plans with specific annual goals, identifying required resources and benchmarks, sharing the plan with employees, implementing the plan, and regularly reviewing progress. Developing and following a strategic plan is presented as key to guiding a business safely towards its objectives.

1. Creating A Successful Business Through Planning

2. If you are a business owner, or are contemplating
starting your own business, if you don't have a strategic
plan, you are destined to fail. The creation of a effecient
and effective business plan can mean the difference
between having the need to work 70+ hours a week all
year long - only to find out that your business is only just
breaking even, or even worse, losing money.. Or being
successful.

3. On the other end of the scale, many successful business
owners and entrepreneurs who have created and
implemented a business strategy generally work for less
hours, and produce a more sizeable income and profit
margins. You will also find, that in general, those who
are successful with their own business, attribute their
success to having a strategic plan.

4. Ok, we've discussed that having a good business strategy
plan is essential, but what really is "strategic business
management"? In its most basic form, its the process in
which the goals and objectives for your business are
defined, and an action plan is then created so you may
reach your goals and objectives.

5. You now know what it is. So how do you go about
creating a strategic plan for your business?

6. 1) Any business owner should know, and be able to
describe in detail, the vision for his or her business.
Whats the image that you want your business to have?

7. 2) Any operating business should have clear and concise
company values and guiding principles. For instance,
what are the reasons you are in business? Serve and
protect? Provide quality soap? And how do you do
business? Do you treat your customers like trash; or
another form of royalty?

8. 3) It would also be a good idea to create a 3 year and 5
year plan. Any business should implement a long-term
plan in which the basis is on broad objectives that will
assist you in getting your business from where it is
today, to where you want your business to be.

9. 4) Thinking not only long-term, but also short-term, will
also greatly help your business develop. Each year, you
should create, define, and plan specific objectives that
when accomplished, will help you on the road to
achieving your long-term goals. It is also worth noting,
then when setting and planning your annual goals, is
pays to be "SMART". Make sure your planning
incorporates the following points:

10. - Be very specific

11. - Show measure

12. - Make the goals realistic and attainable

13. - Make sure they are time-oriented

14. Include a list of obstacles and barriers which could
holter your success from achieving your goals. In any
case, getting to where you want your business to be,
you'll need resources. Create and define a list of
resources you've already got, and the other resources
which you will need to achieve your goals. At this point,
you should also create a concise action plan that clearly
defines how you will actually achieve the necessary
goals. If your business has any employees, it is of great
importance to involve them with this part of the
business planning process.

15. 5) In your business plan, you should create simple and
concise milestones or benchmarks, that will define when
you have actually reached a goal or objective. This is an
essential part of the planning, as it will enable you to
measure your progress as a business.

16. 6) After you have created your strategic business plan, it
is of paramount importance that it is shared with
anyone who will be involved in the process. Your annual
business plan is the roadmap which will lead your
business and those involved, to the goals which need to
be achieved -- but to be effective, everyone must end up
at the same goals and objectives, the "destination", if
you will. And to do so, everyone requires the same map.

17. 7) Its no use having a well thought-out and planned
strategic business plan, if you don't put it into action.
You now have a means to begin your business journey;
its time to start it.

18. 8) Be sure to regularly check and compare the progess of
your business, to the benchmarks defined in your
business plan.

19. If something should go wrong with your business, the
sooner you figure out what went wrong, or what is -
happening- wrong, the sooner you can fix the problem,
make the necessary adjustments and get your business
back on track.

20. 9) And finally, ensure that each year you follow the exact
same cycle to create your strategic business plan.
Dream, Plan, Act, Check. Thats all there is to it.

21. As a final comment, I'll leave you with this. Creating a
business strategy and ensuring that you follow it, is not
just about achieving specific goals and objectives. Its
purpose is to also make sure that the journey taken to
these goals, is a safe and enjoyable journey.

22. Having a safe trip is just as important as reaching your
final destination.

23. http://startaninternetbusinesssite.info/form.php?id=64
0482