LIFESTYLE
ALIGNING YOUR DOLLARS TO
YOUR DREAMS
Your business changed. Have your finances changed with it? BY LORI (REHNELT) AUFDERHAR (SHE/HER)
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s our businesses evolve, our business plans change too! You may have been required to write a business plan to obtain a small business loan and launch your business. Then maybe you put the business plan binder on the shelf or close the file safely in your computer’s documents in case you need to borrow more … Ugh! When we put our business plan on the shelf, so to speak, it’s out of sight, out of mind, and not looked at again. A fluid document, business plans evolve and change with your business. Have a look at it. Does it reflect your current status? You can use this powerful tool as a way to evaluate and grow your business instead of letting it sit there gathering dust. When evaluating your business plan on a regular basis (this doesn’t require hours and hours, keep it short and simple), you can use the time and details to brainstorm other opportunities or to stop processes that are failing to produce the cash flow you hoped for. Oftentimes, we start down a path in our business hoping it will take off.
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“When evaluating your business plan on a regular basis [ … ], you can use the time and details to brainstorm other opportunities or to stop processes that are failing to produce the cash flow you hoped for.” When it doesn’t, I see business owners chasing their tails, spending precious time trying again and trying harder rather than focusing on something that does work. Pressing pause in our business to evaluate can be done on a consistent regular basis. Put it on your calendar, make it a date, make it fun! Let it help you more clearly define your niche or help you get creative with your schedule. What works best for you? When are people showing up for your classes? Does your schedule need to change by season? For shorter winter
days, later in the day may work best, while early summer mornings may be the way to go when it’s cooler. Your customer's attendance will be telling, are you tracking it? What do you want out of your business? What is your target income? What is your energy level? Are you still as passionate about your business as when you started out? Are you willing and able to put in the time and energy necessary to produce the results you seek? Are you being realistic? Can you do anything different? Can you do more? Scattered focus equals scattered results. Are you trying to be everyone to everybody and getting burned out?
"Pressing pause in our business to evaluate can be done on a consistent regular basis. Put it on your calendar, make it a date, make it fun!"
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