Here’s what we’ll cover
It’s time to talk planning, your business plan or as I like to call it your Big Picture Plan. Your business plan needs to be looked at alongside your big picture life plans. Right now, at the start of 2021 my head is firmly planted in my big picture.
I know what my big picture looks like, I know my current net worth and the net worth we need to be, by when, to reach that big picture. The wheels are in motion for my big picture plans today but the outside world won’t really see the fruits of that big picture plan for about 3 years then 5 years from now our big picture will be in full swing.
So where are you with your big picture? What does it look like? How does your business plan fit into your overall big picture planning?
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Here’s the shownotes
Why Your Big Picture Plan is More Important Now Than Ever Before and How to Do it.
Season Two of the Simply Smarter Numbers Podcast and this special episode on building your big picture plan is sponsored by my Premier Business Profit Coaching. Helping successful business owners plan for their next level of growth, make more profit and take back their time.
To find out if my exclusive Premier Business Profit Coaching is for you book a free chat at simplysmarternumbers.com/freechat
Welcome to Season 2 of the Simply Smarter Numbers podcast. This season is going to be a big one and I’m feeling compelled to kick it off with where my head is at right now in the world of business 12 months into this world pandemic.
Go Big Picture. My head is firmly planted in my big picture. I know what my big picture looks like, I know my current net worth and the net worth we need to be, by when, to reach that big picture. The wheels are in motion for my big picture plans today but the outside world won’t really see the fruits of that big picture plan for about 3 years then 5 years from now our big picture will be in full swing.
So where are you with your big picture? What does it look like? Where will you be living in 5 years? What will your lifestyle look like? How many hours will you be working? What will you be doing in your business everyday, managing, overseeing, working with specific ideal clients only? Does your business even exist in your big picture plan or is your business just a means to get you there? Are the wheels in motion and moving towards that big picture today? Or are your wheels just spinning and headed nowhere in particular?
I want to talk to you about why I think big picture planning is more important than ever before right now – despite the fact that I hear so many people saying they can’t possibly plan years into the future right now, they can’t plan for tomorrow let alone 3 or 5 years!
Well I’m here to say that the fact that we cannot confidently plan for tomorrow is exactly the reason we absolutely must be planning for our big picture lives now.
Let me explain my perspective on this.
I’m an organiser. I organise others. I organise myself. I operate at my absolute best and most effectively when me, my family, my clients, my business are, you guessed it… organised.
I think that’s what has made me a successful business person both in my past as a CPA, a CFO and a CEO and today as a business profit coach. Being organised involves knowing what is happening around you. Not just you personally, but also knowing where your clients are at.
What they have or haven’t done, are deadlines being met, are you and your clients turning up prepared to get right into the topic of a meeting or are you finding them running late, scrambling around to get their stuff together while you impatiently sit back and wait to get into what you’re meant to be talking about?
Have they delivered you the information you need in advance of you needing it or is their disorganisation contributing to your disorganisation? Being organised allows you to predict, strategise, summarise, think on your feet, delegate and not only deliver the things that matter today but think ahead and deliver the advice that matters tomorrow.
BUT. Here’s the big but. Operating a business amidst a world pandemic has taken away the luxury of being confidently organised.
When nothing is organised, nothing is predictable. From planning family getaways then cancelling them last minute, from planning a weekender to then being locked on the wrong side of borders, from being emotionally drained from not seeing family or seeing too much of the family. Our days have become disorganised and our days have become unpredictable.
So this past few weeks over the summer, I’ve tried something new for me. I’ve trialled complete disorganisation. Kinda, like if you can’t beat it then join it style.
This past few weeks rather than planning out my usual 12 months numbers, my profit goals and my return on time goals. I’ve pushed that aside for the moment – not for long, just for the moment. And I’ve dialled in on my big picture goals.
The disorganisation of the world around you can mess with your immediate plans but it really can’t mess with your big picture plans.
So, if you haven’t already done it – go and get intimate with your big picture plans. Mine are as clear as they’ll ever be.
Here’s a few questions for you to consider to go get started on your big picture plans;
Our big picture plans involve not just me and my business but they include my husband, his business. Have you sat and had the big picture conversation with your spouse?
Our big picture plans include our net worth goals. What is your net worth today and how much do you want to be worth in 5 years?
Our big picture plans are clear on what kind of lifestyle we want to be leading. What kind of lifestyle do you want to be living in 5 years? What kind of money will you need to be making to support that lifestyle?
Our non-negotiables are crystal clear. Are there any non-negotiables coming up in the next few years that you need to take into account? Are the kids about to go to uni, do you need to upgrade the family home, do you have elderly family you may need to spend time or money on? Do you need to spend some decent coin on your business to take it to the next level? Do you have debt you need to smash – is that your big goal for the next few years?
Our big plans include our business and we know precisely what we want that to look like. How do you see your business looking in 5 years? Operating with you as the CEO, the general manager or are you out of the business altogether?
Can you build the business to sell it? Are you building a business that’s an asset, a saleable asset? What slight changes can you make today that will give you the option to sell your business?
So many questions that we often don’t sit back and really think about.
My advice to you – Get clear on your big picture. Then every decision you make between today and that big picture day has a real purpose. You’ll have a real and personal connection with that big picture outcome. Having a connection with that big picture outcome gives you real motivation. Real drive. Allows you to make smarter decisions along the way that will drive you to that big picture.
When things outside of your control turn sour. When the disorganisation surrounding us throws up different challenges it matters less. Having a clear big picture of where you are headed puts you squarely in the driver’s seat. You’re in a position to control, change, move in any direction you need to, to be sure you end up reaching that big picture. There’s a distinct feeling of freedom in knowing your big picture and knowing precisely how you’ll get there.
Big picture planning is an important element of what I do with my 1 to 1 clients in my Premier Business Profit Coaching. To find out if my exclusive Premier Business Profit Coaching is for you book a free chat at simplysmarternumbers.com/freechat
