Strategic Plan for Success in 2008

Here we are, it's early August. For some, it feels like this year can't end soon enough. Others are so busy they can't believe it's August already. Before we know it, it will be 4th Quarter, 2008 and we'll all be planning for 2009.

It's time we take a look at the months that have passed, and plan for the remaining portion of 2008. If you haven't reviewed your plan since you wrote it, it's time to pull it out, review it, and start checking your successes and failures against what you thought you could make happen.

Evaluate what worked and what has not. Look at those activities that have brought you PROFIT, not just income. This economy is not going to turn around anytime soon, so spend your time wisely. Know what actions impact your bottom line.

Review your goals. Have they changed since the first of the year? Have any been accomplished? Is it time to modify what you have or add new ones?

Be specific. Review the details of each goal, especially any that have numbers associated. These are easy to track and evaluate. Don't just say you want to increase your sales by 5%. List each product or service you provide, and then set specific goals by number of customers, income, types of products, etc.

Develop steps to accomplish each goal. You probably did this when you wrote your initial plan. Again, it's time to evaluate the actions you've taken and the results you've experienced. What should you modify?

Know your costs. Make sure you understand any costs involved with reaching each goal. For instance, you want to introduce a new service to your customers and your goal is to have $635,000 in sales by March, 2009. Budget for advertising, travel, sales meetings, etc. Anything you'll have to do to achieve your goal will more than likely have a cost involved. Budget it.

Estimate your time frame. Maybe at the beginning of this year you had hoped to launch 3 new products, but you've only gotten 2 out to your customers. You did not take enough time to estimate the time you'd need. This is important because it can also impact the number of people working on a project.

Estimate people. Are you going to be responsible for everything? Or are there projects you can delegate or out-source? All these can be "hidden" costs.

Prioritize. You know what you have to do to survive. Make sure those action items get accomplished. You know what you have to do to thrive. They should be your secondary level. You know what has the best chance of success. This should be level three. Realize that it's unlikely you'll get all your goals accomplished. It's smarter to get the important ones completed, than to get all of them partly completed.

Write an action plan. This is your daily guideline to getting things done. Schedule the time during the day, week or month when you will work on something. Then, do it on time and get it done.

Last item: Reality Check

Can these goals be met with you and your current team? Discuss the plan with your team, get their commitment, and you're back on track to achieving your goals and being successful in 2008!