It’s Halloween! My neighborhood is spooky. Next door we have a giant spider, webs and floating ghosts. On my daily walk I encounter giant 12-feet skeletons, the married dead, Beetle Juice and yards and yards of pumpkins.
It’s equally scary to encounter another ritual of October: the yearly planning session. But if you are a business owner looking for higher growth in 2025 this is a very necessary evil.
Even though it can feel like a treacherous journey through a haunted house where a different malevolent evil spirit awaits in each room.
The Parlor – The Waiting Room. As you step into the parlor, awaiting your client’s response to your proposal or draft plan, the relentless specter of time engulfs you. In the parlor you must master time management to escape the time-ghost’s grasp. Invest in time management and productivity software as well as planning systems that help you cut the time it takes to produce your plans. This will ensure that time becomes your ally rather than your adversary.
The Library – The Specter of Complexity. In the library, the specter of complexity looms large. As a business owner, it’s not a lack of knowledge that haunts you but the overwhelming deluge of information. Effective growth planning demands a deep understanding of market trends, industry insights, and customer needs. Invest in ongoing education, stay current with industry developments, and collaborate with experts who can illuminate your path forward. Confront this specter by distilling complexity into a clear, concise plan that your team can easily execute.
The Kitchen – A Culinary Nightmare. Entering the kitchen, you’re confronted by the ghoul of inadequate tools. You’re here to craft a gourmet growth plan, but your kitchen is filled with mismatched ingredients and outdated appliances. Banish this kitchen ghoul by investing in the right tools, enabling more efficient decision-making and execution. Depending on your planning needs, these tools encompass data analytics software, marketing campaign management systems and financial forecasting models.
The Family Room – Spirits of Doubt and Resistance. In the family room, you meet a collection of spirits who view planning as useless or a mere game rather than a critical element of business success. Confront the naysayer, the spirit of laziness, and the spirit of inertia with the support of your own Yoda—an experienced guide. Seek out a peer community of seasoned experts or industry peers who can offer valuable insights and help you evade costly mistakes.
The Bedroom – Sound sleep or sleepless nights with the Night Hag? As we end our journey through the haunted house, it is in the bedroom where we can judge whether our approach to growth planning will enable us to sleep soundly or face The Night Hag. You can banish the Night Hag from your dreams when you are armed with best-in-class knowledge, tools, training and a team of mentors and plan implementors.
Growth planning for your business can seem like a journey through a haunted house, with a challenge lurking in every room: The Haunting of Time, The Culinary Nightmare, the Spirits of Doubt and Resistance and The Dreaded Night Hag.
And just as brave souls conquer haunted houses, you and your team can overcome these challenges and emerge victorious with a plan to support your business growth for 2025.
Click here to book a call and start a planning process that will banish those evil spirits for good!