TKG Strategic

Your business has a strategic plan and you have been implementing it for a while. Now you may wonder what is next. Most strategic plans have traditionally been written for a three to five year time frame. Plans usually do not go longer than five years because the rate of change is so rapid that it is hard to reliably predict outcomes at five years or longer. In fact, it is more common today to have strategic plans that go out only three years.

If your strategic plan has been in place for one or two years, you may only need to review the progress to date and make appropriate adjustments. If you are approaching the third year of your strategic plan, it is time to revisit the planning process and write a new comprehensive plan. Contact me to schedule the new plan development.

When a business decides to pursue the development of a strategic plan, they will want to obtain the services of someone to facilitate the process. And that is exactly what that individual does – facilitates! They will guide the steps in the strategic planning process and assist in capturing the outcome of the work of the business team.
But it’s the business team who defines the strategic plan and its components. It is unique to the business developing it, meets the timeframes that are compatible with that business’ activities, and rolls out through the efforts of the business team. If you would like a facilitator for your strategic plan, contact me today.

It’s been often said that the only constant thing is change! We all live in a dynamic world where change is a daily part of our lives. For some, it’s no big deal to adapt to changes. For others, it is very difficult. In the middle are most of us who will readily admit that we can take some change but really don’t enjoy a whole lot of it.

Businesses are not exempt from the impact of change. New rules, new technology, new delivery processes, new employees, new products/services, and new (you fill in the blank) . It happens every day to some extent. But there are ways to manage it more effectively.

One way is to be proactive, rather than reactive. Strategic planning processes provide a proactive direction for the business so that anticipated changes are included in the roll-out of the strategic plan as much as possible. The business can then prepare for the change and position itself to meet the corresponding challenges. Contact me today if you would like to meet change in your business in a positive way.

Tough economic times challenge most businesses. During such times, one often hears media discussions about approaches businesses can take to stay viable. The underlying suggestion is for the businesses to be creative! What does that mean and how is it done?

It means that new approaches for providing the business product or service may need to be considered. It means that the regular methods of marketing may not be effective. It means that cooperative ventures may need to be explored with competitors. It means that the business team may need to brainstorm to find expenses that can be reduced without downsizing employees.

A business with an active strategic plan will know what areas are essential to continue developing for their business and what the goals are for that development. They have a vision of where the business needs to be, in spite of the economic climate. They also know where they can make changes in their approaches to meet the current challenges and still keep the business vision in sight. They also know where they can change priorities in business strategies but still keep strategies for later development. Because the business team was involved in creating the strategic plan, their creativity becomes an asset in modifying it as needed. Contact me today to facilitate the development of your strategic plan.

Strategic plans are valuable tools for every business.  They take a “big picture” approach to defining the vision for the business while incorporating important elements of the business culture.  Once completed, they function as a road map in the process of moving towards the goals.  Are they perfect?  No.   Do they change?  Yes.   Well, if that is the case, you may ask, why bother to develop one at all?

The carefully developed strategic plan is prepared for changes.  The world changes rapidly today so no plan can possibly anticipate every contingency that may occur.  However, the “perfect” strategic plan, developed by the business team in a thorough manner, will have acknowledged the risks that are inherent in their business area and the impact that might occur.  When change comes, the plan can be amended as needed and the team can move in the new direction.  It does work!  Contact me to start on your “perfect” plan.

What is the vision for your business three years from this month?  What resources will be needed to make this vision a reality?  Does your vision incorporate your values?  If you are uncertain as to how to answer these questions, your business needs to complete the strategic planning process.  Often businesses get bogged down in the day-to-day processes and forget to step back and look at the big picture.

Unfortunately, if the big picture hasn’t been defined, the business may find itself going in circles instead of advancing towards a shared and well-defined vision for growth.  Personnel and resources may be lacking to achieve the desired status –three years from now.  Contact me today to define your vision!

Recently I was listening to the evening news report on television.  In this slow economic time, the announcer had found an encouraging news story to highlight.  It was a company who was building a new industrial site and still had 300+ employees working on the site.  Additional interviews with supervisors indicated that they would be adding to the work force soon as the need for the electrical, plumbing, and other types of utilities came along.  The point that was made during the story was that the company owning the new building was continuing with their building plans because it was part of their strategic plan!

The company had taken the time to strategically look at the big picture in terms of how they were growing, developing their services, long-range production, and other pertinent areas and knew that they needed to stay on target with this building program.  They knew that because they defined the steps in their strategic plan and they were implementing the plan they had developed.  They will be positioned well to meet the production needs as the economy turns around.

Your business can be in the same position.  Now is the time to develop your strategic plan if you don’t have one or if the one you have needs to be updated.  I would love to help you with the process.  Just contact me!

Every business has cyclical patterns – some slow, some busy.  Most businesses know their unique pattern and plan accordingly.  Busy times may require additional staffing, inventory, and/or hours.  During slower times, businesses can address items that need to be accomplished for continued growth and success of the business.

Businesses should review their business plan and strategic plans periodically.  This may be a process that occurs each year during a time of slower activity for the business.  Whenever your business is ready to develop or update your strategic plan, feel free to contact me!  It’s a very beneficial process.

We’re one month into the new year. How are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions? Many of us make the same resolution each year –to get in good physical shape. If you’re like most of us, we start with good intentions but slowly they fall to the wayside. But, we can always return to the goal and work at it again.

Likewise, business resolutions can be the same. Many businesses want to develop a strategic plan – some day. But now is a good time to act on that New Year’s resolution and set aside some time to get your plan done. By this time next year, you will be amazed at what you have been able to accomplish with one. Contact me today if you would like help to make your business resolution complete!

Do you have a business in the creative arts…Dancing? Artistic creations? Music? Or similar fields? If so, you are probably fulfilling a real dream which is to be able to earn a living in a field you truly love. Many individuals who have such businesses find it difficult to define the business structure while engaging in their pursuit of the artistic field that they love. It seems that the creative side of the brain and the organizational side of the brain just don’t communicate willingly. If this applies to you, a strategic plan will “organize” the development of your business processes in a manner that will allow you to manage both aspects of your business. I can help you get that plan developed– just contact me!