Consider the following scenario that happens thousands of time every day in America.

You go to the grocery store. Upon entering the store, you grab your grocery list and realize you left it at home or in the office. As you are walking up and down the aisles, you try to remember everything you need. When you come home, you check what you purchased against the list and discover the following:

• You forgot several items.
• You purchased some things you didnt need.
• You spent more money than you budgeted.
• You spent more time than you planned.
• You need to return to the store costing you additional time, money and energy.
• You are possibly frustrated, distracted and unhappy.

Based upon this scenario, the every day simple grocery list has significant value because of the expenditures of time, energy and dollars. So since this simple, common list has significant value, then where is the plan for your business or the rest of your life?

Develop a strategic plan

Mistake: If you don't have a plan, you are on someone else's plan. A strategic plan indicates who does what by when. Remember, hope is not a strategy.

Let me repeat: When you don't have a plan, you are on someone else's plan.

Think back to that grocery experience. Whose plan were you on? Who made more money? Answer: The grocery store, of course. And let's not forget the oil companies and all those other related companies because it costs money to travel from the home or office to the grocery store.

A solid strategic plan is really a systematic, higher order thinking process and includes the following characteristics:

• Vision statement
• Values statement
• External assessment
• Competitive analysis
• Trend analysis
• Internal appraisal
• Structure
• SWOT analysis
• Mission statement
• Critical Goal Categories
• Market Plan
• Sales Plan
• Financials
• Review Process
• Summary

• What needs to be done
• When things need to be done
• How will we prioritize what needs to be done?
• Who will do what needs to be done
• How will we know what needs to be done is done?
• How will be make necessary course corrections due to unanticipated changes?

If you think this is a lot of work, you are absolutely correct. Yet, returning to the grocery list scenario. If you determine that you save an estimated $10 per week or $520 annually in food expenditures by investing 30 minutes per week( 26 hours annually) in list writing, reviewing advertisements and cutting coupons, then why wouldn't you invest at least the same amount of time in creating a solid strategic plan? Believe me, many of your competitors are doing just that. As the old adage goes, You can plan to succeed or fail to plan. The choice is yours.

P.S. If you missed the previous article, click here Coaching Your Business To The Next Level Series Part 3 - Assessments

Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Good Day. Thanks for visiting. I hope that you have enjoyed my articles. In 1999, I founded ADVANCED SYSTEMS because I saw that performance could and should be doubled in warp time. Individuals, small and large businesses could not afford expensive solutions that may or may not deliver improved results in 12 months.

From my corporate, small business and education experiences, I recognized the individuals must have opportunities for connecting their passion to their purpose to secure the desired performance results, but many lacked the necessary skills, strategies and tools.

With over 20 years in sales management and 10 years in education, I understand how to unite productivity with profitability by developing a proactive working culture. My previous experiences resulted in cost savings through one of the first implementations of a computer software in a wholesaler distributor to the creation of a vendor performance assessment.

Since facilitating over 500 sessions, developing and editing over 25 training programs and writing numerous articles focusing on performance improvement, I bring a results focused approach to my clients. Also, I am proud to be one of the first five nationally certified facilitators of America?s Rising Stars (a Student Leadership developmental curriculum).

My passion is to help others connect their passion to their purpose to double performance. As The small business coach in Chicago, my clients have easily doubled their performance. Since our greatest resource is our young people, I am now working with large urban schools to generate the same results.

Education Background

• Graduated with honors from Purdue University with a B.A. in Education
• Earned M.S. from Purdue University in Instructional Design and Curriculum
• Published in the national trade journal, The Supply House Times, and numerous national newsletters
• Developed seminars and training on diversity, communication, leadership, sales, effective trade show behavior, networking, knowledge management, goal setting and improved educational outcomes
• Co-authored M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capicities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement, to be available in 2006
• Working a another book focusing on performance in public education
• Speaker in a national bureau - Resource Associates Corporation