If you, like me, would much rather be working on Illustrations than a business plan, the thought of creating a detailed plan and strategy for 2013 can fill you with dread.
But, as Harvey MacKay wisely said:
“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”
Making a plan for the next 12 months can be fun, inspiring and it should be exciting too. I’m very lucky to be married to Lea (a former management consultant & process expert) and she got me to try an exercise to create a plan for 2013 that I really got into and enjoyed - I’m now super hyped about this new year and have a solid plan in place.
Here’s what she got me to do…
- Sit down with a coffee and a notebook and write down what you want your business to look like at the end of 2013 - be as descriptive as you can including who you worked with, the size of the projects you worked on and even the income you received for each project. (The key here is to focus on the projects you’d really like to be working on, not just ones you think you’d be able to get with your portfolio and business the way it is currently - think big here, dream clients etc).
- Do the above for each part of your business - For example, maybe you want to create additional income streams from creating your own books or prints etc.
- Right, now you know what shape your business is in at the end of 2013, work back and think about what you need to do to get there. Break down the big goals into manageable chunks and highlight milestones along to the way to check you’re on track. Then create lists of actions for each goal/milestone detailing everything you need to do to make that goal a reality.
- Use a calendar to keep you on track and attach deadlines to each action so you end up with a detailed calendar of what you should be working on each week to ensure that at the end of 2013, your business is exactly how you described in your notebook.
One thing I struggle with is being a bit ADHD and flitting from one thing to another without ever really getting anywhere, but I know with a detailed action plan and deadlines in place, in 2013 I won’t ever be left wondering what I should be doing on any given day.
Happy new year and happy planning!