small business gurus - the blog of Cat & Keith Matson

by Cat Matson

(this post first appeared on the HerBusinessBlog, the Australian Businesswomen's Network Blog on 15 January, 2010.  Read the original post and associated comments here)

It’s January, and of course the flavour of the month is planning.

Planning is great … but plans are only as good as our ability to implement them.  So what can you do NOW, while you’re focused, excited and motivated about the year ahead to ensure your plan does get converted into action?

First, check your plan against reality.  Yes, by all means, aim high, but if you look at your plan and doubt your ability to make it happen, it’s unlikely you’ll stay motivated as the months pass.

Further, check the viability of your plan in the context of your life.  A new component I’ve added into my plan is my ‘Life Sandbox‘ - the life context that my business exists within.  For me, this includes having two young boys at daycare, my personal health and fitness goals, my volunteer Board and community commitments, not to mention my husband (who also happens to be my business partner). The impact of these ’sandbox boundaries’ is that I have approximately 24 hours per week available for ‘work’ … and a significant amount of that time is already allocated. By clearly identifying this sandbox I’m in a better position to balance my business and personal demands, find opportunities to creatively intergrate the various roles in my life (e.g collaborating with my husband on work projects is a way we get to spend time together), … and able to set more realistic goals in my business.

Another step is to break down your plan into projects … and for each of the projects create a simple project timeline. This helps uncover any overcommitments by way of time or other resources. (Tip for parents: Put school holidays into your project plan … it will help prevent setting up unrealistic expectations about what will get done when things are ‘off-routine’).

Once you’ve mapped your project timelines, take the time to block out time in your diary or schedule.  Life does, and will, get busy. So, now is the time (while you’re focused and pumped about the possibilities) to make appointments with yourself to get things done.  This is an element that I find particularly challenging … as I don’t like seeing a ‘full’ diary.  So as a way of making it fun, I’ve colour-coded the appointments in my diary.  And instead of just blocking out time to say ‘write e-book‘, I’ve prefaced each appointment with the project and key result I’m aiming for - ‘Revenue Generating Information Products - Write free e-book‘ - so as I look at my calendar I’m reminded not only of the task, but of the bigger picture.

My final tip: Put your plan on one page.  A ‘one-page-plan‘ is easy to update and you can stick it on your desk or wall and see, at a glance, what it is you’re striving for.

Cat

Igniting your business performance

Alito - business mentors

by Cat Matson

I love January.  After the rush of lead-up to Christmas, January is a slower month ... with people excited about what the new year holds.

It is of course a time for ‘starting fresh’ ... which for me is like starting a new year at school – crisp, fresh books (with nothing in the them yet), a new classroom and teacher, new ideals about how I will be this year (compared to last).  Even now (far too many years after school), there’s still that sensation of a fresh start ... even though, the reality is, we pick up where we ‘left off’.

I’m not one for resolutions ... as they are too easily made in a rush of blood to the head and even more easily broken within the first days of the year.  However the ‘freshness’ of the new year gives space for more powerful planning and reflection on your business.

Start with what I call your ‘Life Sandbox’ – what is in the sandbox that is your life that is important to you ... and impacts or is impacted by your business.  Obviously there’s things like family commitments ... but what about your desire to have more frequent holidays or mini-breaks ... or doing something with your golf clubs other than cane-toad-putting practice.

Your business should fit ‘into’ your life ... not the other way around ... so if you clearly define your ‘life’ first, you have a better context from which to plan your business.  From this perspective, what business goals would you like to achieve ... and what strategies or projects do you need to work on to make those goals real?

The ‘reality routine’ will be back before you know it – now that school’s gone back all sense of ‘holiday’ is gone ... and that ‘new-year freshness’ will fade soon too.  So take some time to really plan your key outcomes for the year ...  and not only give yourself a fresh start to the year ... but a fresh way of doing your business.

Cat

Igniting your business performance

Alito - business information, education and mentoring