- Posted by on January 28, 2010
As the saying goes, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. As we have struggled over the past 18 months, many contractors are now beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. While the lead time for sales remains prolonged, the business is out there and clients are starting to come back.
As the economy improves and business begins to grow, I suggest you make a commitment to planning. Even with limited resources, companies that are focused on creating a viable process will reap the benefits. Consider all the aspects of your business and think about the following:
- Determine your Core Values – what is it about your company that makes your clients hire you? Use that information to strengthen your marketing efforts and build your brand promise.
- Identify your company targets over the next six months. How do you plan to complete projects on time and on budget?
- Perform a skills assessment – what parts of your business do you need to improve to be able to achieve your targets?
- Create a measurable action plan including accountabilities, determining who is responsible for achieving what, and by when.
The best part about creating a plan is that the effort put into that planning process can help you focus on your business. There are no right or wrong answers in creating a plan. Start by creating one measureable goal for you to complete within the next two weeks. Some examples are a specific number of proposals created, a number of potential clients contacted, or a number of networking activities completed. Spending a few minutes each day to create and monitor goals will go a long way to helping your business recover and build a better company.
Leslie Shiner—author, speaker, and trainer—has more than twenty years experience as a financial and management consultant. She is the owner and principal of The ShinerGroup, a consulting firm helping businesses gain financial control. As a business coach, she has worked with both small and large businesses to help them better understand their business practices and maximize their profits. She is the author of “A Simple Guide to Turning a Profit as a Contractor.” Ms Shiner is an engaging speaker with a long history of rave reviews. She continues to receive high praise for her ability to make financial management interesting, understandable, and even entertaining.
