National Write a Business Plan Month: Make a plan, grow your business
With Christmas approaching, it’s tempting to get caught up in the holiday frenzy. But not so fast! Before we deck the halls and haunt the malls hunt for gifts, let’s take a look at another month-long celebration that does a lot of good for the entrepreneur community.
If you Google it, there’s a special occasion for every month and almost every day. But we think National Write a Business Plan Month this December deserves a little extra love. For sure, it’s a mouthful, but it’s also full of great intentions and has encouraged many small to medium businesses to get off the ground. The yuletide season can get out of hand once it kicks in, it would be more beneficial to use this time to get centered and plan your enterprise and its future.
National Write a Business Plan Month is an initiative by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The organization offers financial support and business counseling to help those who want to start their own company. The month-long commemoration is a natural extension of this support, as it aims to encourage entrepreneurs to get started on their dreams. Of course, it’s not just for businesses that are about to begin. It’s also a good reminder for more established ones to modify, rethink, and adapt plans for the future. Markets and trends change at warp speed these days and an updated business plan keeps your brand relevant.
If just thinking about doing it stresses you out, here is a guide provided by the SBA itself. Another is this first-timer friendly guide from TheCubicleChick.
It’s also a great time for business-to-business relations. National Write a Business Plan Month presents entrepreneurs the opportunity to make their presence felt and strengthen partnerships with current clients. It would be timely to remind partners and clients of your offerings and of past projects done together. Do this in useful and unobtrusive ways and your business stands a better chance of being part of clients’ and partners’ short- and long-term plans. Send them an executive planner and/or notebook package ahead of the usual year-end timing. A budget-friendly option can be a leather-bound portfolio with pockets and pens.
Be extra open to meetings as well. This is a profitable time because deals struck before the new year comes in can be longer-ranging than usual.
You can make it a special time for your internal audience, too. Companies that involve their whole teams come planning time can give tokens as well, something they can use and remind them of your organization’s goals. Printed items are easy to produce and use: stickers with inspiring messages, sticky notes with the new brand mission, or new company cards in a fancy case.
It’s also a good time to think about how your plan next year can be part of something bigger, a chance to do some long-term good. Studies have shown that markets today, especially influential millennials, are increasingly seeking to support brands that benefit the community. Make sure that company is you. You win by making other people win. It’s an unbeatable reward!
Want to hear a few more ideas about improving your relationships with your corporate clients and your consumers? .We’re ready to listen and work with you
