Business Planning: Develop / review your Culture and Values Statement

1. Y O U R R E D H O T
action planThe key to achieving business results is to be‘on fire’
consistently.TARRAN DEANE shares some valuable‘Red Hot Planning Tools’ that will help you to
remember why you and your business are doing what you’re doing.
Many soulPreneurs feel overwhelmed by
the concept of ‘planning’ their business.
Yet, it really is an exciting and essential
part of achieving personal and financial
success, providing clear benchmarks for
achievement and celebration of milestones.
The aim of business planning is not to add
additional stress, rather it is to capture the
status of your business now, identify your
objectives for the future and your strategies to
achieve them. Where do you start? With you
of course!
CULTURE
Examine “Why” you are in business in the first
place: What was it that inspired you? What
compelled you to start your business? What
is your driving motivation for doing what you
do? Is it health, injustice, beliefs, a cause, the
challenge, a clearly expressed creative passion?
VALUES
Your values are your anchor. Many
soulPreneurs have a vague understanding of
what is important to them but few have taken
the time to specifically identify values as part
of a successful business strategy. As your
business grows, your personal values may
become those of the actual business.
Attracting, engaging and retaining team
members, suppliers and clients will become
effortless when you are clear on what you stand
for and when your values are embodied in
every aspect of your operation. As you grow you
will need 100 per cent commitment from your
team. Your business direction will be enhanced
when you uphold your values or sabotaged if
decisions are made that contradict them.
Culture and values identification is the number
one priority to revisit – it impacts everything
from wellness to cash flow.
Action 1. Develop / review your
Culture and Values Statement
VISION
Where will you be in two years? Start from that
end and work backwards. Take a look at this
example and be inspired to create your own:
“It is the year 2014, we have achieved $xy in
gross sales. We have used a talent attraction,
engagement and retention strategy and we
now have a team of people highly skilled and
brilliantly serving our fabulous clients. 80 per
cent of our business comes from our ideal client
<insert your ideal>.
Our net profit in 2013 was $abc and in 2014 $tuv.
Our business operations are systemised and we
are working the plan. We have received three
industry awards as recognition for the passion,
quality and uniqueness we bring to the market.
Our clients have become genuine ambassadors
for our brand.
We celebrate our achievements monthly and are
known for investing in causes that stir us and
make a difference on the planet.
We are loving being in business.”
Action 2. Develop / review your Vision
Statement
Types of red hot planning documents
Here are Red Hot Planning Tools to help
your business absolutely flourish in the next
financial year! So let’s start creating.
1. Situational analysis – Political, economic,
social, and technological considerations
affecting your industry and customer base.
2. Service development and marketing
plan – Target market and audience (can be
different), strategic alliances or joint ventures,
pricing strategy, advertising, and network
participation. Include an increasing amount of
‘social proof’, be sure to include strategies to
gain client feedback at every opportunity, and
increasingly use video recommendations.
3. Operating plan – A detailed plan of how
will you do what you do, including compliance
considerations, real cost of bringing your
product or service to market, your competitive
advantage in the market, and a client
satisfaction survey.
4. Management and personnel plan –
Values-based performance management and
benchmarks, and professional development for
you and your team including virtual assistants
and contractors. Succession planning and
secondment strategies – yes, Ms soulPreneur
you must take a break and go on holidays.
5. Legal plan – IP, trademarking, compliance,
registrations, risk exposure, contracts with
suppliers and clients, and governance liability.
6. Communication plan – closely aligned
with your marketing plan, ensure you have an
increasing emphasis on building your business
profile with brand consistency, including your
social media communications. Latest expert
research confirms online business growth and
brand recognition within two years will be
significantly impacted by a failure to have a
strong online presence. Split testing of websites
is highly recommended to determine your
footprint and effectiveness.
7. Finance plan – Annual budgets, funding
sources, insurances, reliability of accounting
experts and software.
Action 3. Choose three of the above
Red Hot Planning Tools and start now!
The most common format for recording these
has always been in MS Word and Excel, later
converting to PDF. Give yourself permission
to think outside the box and additionally
communicate these in a creative way that
reflects you – audio, video, or maybe canvases
for your wall!
Plan to succeed and you will be positioned for
growth with the right clients, at the right price,
with shared values and a mutual love for your
brand! n
WW BUSINESS STRATEGIES
CONTACT Tarran Deane
BUSINESS Corporate Cinderella
PHONE +61 (0) 417 654 305
www.corporatecinderella.com.au
A R T I C L E C O U R T E S Y O F W O R K I N G W O M E N ® M A G A Z I N E – www.womensnetwork.com.au