“You’ve got to think about the big things while you’re doing 
 the small things, so that all the small things go in the right 
 direction.” - Alvin Toffler

While we all know it is important to plan for the future, very 
few businesses actually do. Instead of citing the benefits of 
business planning and strategic planning, which we’ve all heard, 
here is a list of warning signs that indicate whether or not your 
business has a clear focus and if you are ready to be strategic 
this year.

 - If someone asked where your business would be in 2007, you 
   would have to think about it. If you asked your partners or 
   management team the same question, you would get different 
   answers. And you would not know what you are doing in 2006 to 
   make 2007 a reality.

 - Your company will not hit its revenue goals this year. While 
   there can be many reasons for the shortfall, you are not sure 
   how to grow the top line. Maybe it is time to apply the 80/20 
   rule. Do you know what 20 percent of your customers contribute
   the 80 percent of your revenue?

 - There are inconsistencies in your brochure, website, sales 
   collateral, etc. You can’t understand the content. More 
   importantly, neither can anyone else. You find you have to 
   explain your business to a potential client. You are telling 
   different stories about how you provide value.

 - You’re ignoring your competition. You don’t know who your 
   number one competitor is and what they are doing, who their 
   clients are, what products they offer, their pricing, or key 
   message points. When your customers ask you to explain why 
   your company is different, you don’t have a good response.

 - Everything on your “to do” list is a priority. You don’t know 
   where your time is best spent.

 - Friends and colleagues can’t refer you because they aren’t 
   sure exactly what value your business provides and to whom. 
   They often ask, “What is it you do again?”

 - When you’re presented with a business opportunity, you are 
   unsure how to evaluate if it is something your company should 
   pursue. In fact, you normally pursue all opportunities just in 
   case you might miss the big one.

 - You enjoy what you do, but you are not passionate about your 
   business. You’d quit everything and follow that passion 
   tomorrow if you could.

 - Your business development consists largely of attending 
   networking events, but you spend most of your time talking to 
   people you know.  And you rely solely on word-of-mouth for new 
   customers.

 - You don’t know why your customers buy from you. The majority 
   continue to do business with your company, but you’re not sure 
   what keeps them coming back. You’ve never really asked.

 - You find your clients contracting with other companies for 
   services you provide. When asked, they say they didn’t know 
   you offered those services.

 - When you ask your employees what success looks like, they 
   don’t have a consistent answer. And your incentive plan does 
   not synch up with performance expectations.

 - You complain when your customers call because you just 
   don’t have time to talk to them. And you notice your staff 
   complaining too.

 - You don’t do market research or solicit customer feedback 
   because you know your market. You’ve been in the industry for 
   years and you know customers’ need and wants.

 - You determine your pricing by looking at your competitor’s 
   prices and discounting slightly. All your prices are based on 
   your competitors’ offerings.

 - You can’t articulate what your company does best, but it is a 
   good point of discussion at the Christmas cocktail party.

 - When asked why you are in business, your only response is 
   profit.

Sound familiar? Maybe it’s time to get serious about your 
business and get focused. Having a strategic plan and, 
therefore a succinct strategy, brings clarity and focus to your 
organization. It ensures your time, resources, and actions are 
not wasted. If every part of your organization is not pointed in 
the same direction, you’ll end up going in circles – frustrating 
yourself and your employees. Why not get strategic and make this 
year your most successful year? 

Erica Olsen is VP of Marketing of MyStrategicPlan, a 
web-based strategic planning system for small businesses. 
MyStrategicPlan.com helps entrepreneurs build and execute 
their business strategies through a cost-effective, 
do-it-yourself solution. With our web-based process, companies 
can build their strategic plans quickly and efficiently, 
leading to increased organizational focus and business growth. 
http://www.mystrategicplan.com  She is also an instructor and 
a writer.