• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Is a plan absolutely necessary?

By Becky McCray

In a word, yes.
I know exactly one business person that I consider successful at small biz survival who had no plan. Now, he possesses way more than his share of innate good business sense. (Maybe that explains why some people have way less than their share.)
If you want to survive in the midst of decline, you must have a clear idea of where you are going. Otherwise, you will get pulled downhill with everything else around you.

General Guidelines For Goal-Setting and Business Planning:

Source: re:invention blog A Toolbox for Women-Led Businesses. ™

  • Every business needs a planning process. EVERY BUSINESS.
  • Begin with dreams and desire. You have to really want it. But realize that really wanting something to happen ain’t enough.
  • The mere process of planning can become a management tool. “Each year you develop a plan, and each month you compare your actual results to the plan, you can note the difference between plan and actual performance.”
  • Know your financial goals. Projected revenues and profits are the yardstick by which you can measure your business success.
  • Know thy competition, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and identify your point of difference — for instance, re:invention leverages women’s credibility and empowers women but doing so requires us to razor through the nonsense crap. You want fluff and fairie dust? You won’t find it here.
  • Commit yourself to your goals by writing them down. Lee Iacocca once said, “The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.”
  • Make sure your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely).
  • Visualize the dream. If you can’t picture yourself achieving it, chances are you won’t.
  • Avoid the 3 Goal-Setting Traps: unrealistic goals, not being clear about the cost of attaining a goal, and not being willing to do enough work or pay the price to achieve the goal.
  • Review your progress regularly and be flexible. Analyze yourself fairly if a goal is not being met. And assess what you can do differently. Goals can change over time. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set them.

[small business] [business planning] [small biz survival]

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • How cooperatives improve small town economies - May 8, 2022
  • Metaverse business idea: virtual world tour guide - April 15, 2022
  • Make extra money from extra workspace: co-working and 3rd workplaces in small towns - March 28, 2022
  • Trade show booth design trend: hand drawn visuals - March 21, 2022
  • New business sign design? Don’t use cursive script - February 14, 2022
  • Way more people prefer rural than urban, new Pew Research study finds - February 1, 2022
  • Top 5 Rural and small town trends 2022 - January 3, 2022
  • How to start a real small small business - December 17, 2021
  • Tip for better pop-ups and shed businesses - December 5, 2021
  • Small town business idea: cat grooming - November 15, 2021

January 24, 2006 Filed Under: planning

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2022 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in