Setting up a master plan for your business may seem long and drawn out but it doesn't have to be that way. If you are reading this, most likely you are an entrepreneur looking for some skilled advice on starting up your own online business or looking for strategy help with your current business. Here are some steps to get your master plan into gear.
Goals
I know right? Goals. Practical. Simple. But very important. Most common mistakes entrepreneurs make is based off pure laziness when it comes to goal setting. Yeah, you have an idea in your head but what have you written down? Most of you would probably be saying "ehhhh...well...." and that's not a good start. Your journey doesn't begin until you set yourself up for success. Grab a pen and notebook. Where do you see yourself tomorrow? What about next week? Next month? Next year? And what about 5 years from now? The beginning of your entrepreneur journey starts with just a pen and paper. Or your notes app. Whichever.
Schedule
When I first started out with my online shop I just went with the flow and did what I needed to get done for that day. I wasn't sure what that was exactly and just did whatever happened to pop up in that moment. Being self-employed, you can easily get distracted and not use your time wisely. You want to start out with a normal 9 to 5 work week, jot down your schedule and time frames. For example, reply to unanswered emails from 9am-10am then head to the post office from 10am-10:30am and so on. This could differ depending on your situation but it's good to keep a balanced self-employed work life. If you have a full time job then you understand you have a goal and deadline for the day to get things done. The same goes for your personal business.
Network
Ah, heard this before? People often see networking as a huge waste of time. Keep in mind, networking doesn't exactly mean something will happen today, tomorrow or even this year. It's always good to know people and doing the leg work today could mean huge possibilities within the next year or two. You just never know. Seriously, get those business cards handy and start networking.
Failure
You will fail. It's simple as that. This is all about being an entrepreneur and learning from your mistakes. I still fail today. How? I spend money on new products that just don't sell and could have gone without wasting my time designing and crafting. But that one failed item saved me from 3 others. How does this coincide with your master plan? Write down your failures just as much as your accomplishments. It's all about learning. Your business is just like your life. Treat it the same way.
Loyalty
It takes time to earn someone's trust and loyalty. The same goes for your business. Remember to always demonstrate loyalty to your customers. Experience is everything and creates the best word-of-mouth advertising. How many people have you told to go to that new local coffee shop or new music store because they were just so kind, caring, and made you feel valued? That could be somebody else talking about you and your business. Jot down in your master plan log just how you can create an experience that keeps the same customers coming back and gets your business earning new ones. This could be from some seriously cool packaging to possibly one of the most positive and appreciative reply from an email. It's the little things.
I have no doubt that if you strongly follow these steps to getting your master plan into motion you will see some nice results with your business.
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