You have had a business for several years. It has grown and continues to grow. You make decisions based on instincts and looking in from the outside all appears to be going well. However, competition is starting to make in roads into your markets. Technology is playing a role in getting to know your customers which is creating pressure on your business. Change is happening at an ever increasing rate. What do you do to get back into control?

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A strategic plan will help you map out the best road to travel to find growth. Plus as an added benefit it will help you unify your internal team in working toward the same goals. You should start with a SWOT analysis and then determine what you need to do immediately to get back on the right course of action. Studies have shown that it is best to start at the extremes relative to opportunities and potential threats. You then need to break down these opportunities and threats into short term courses of action and build toward long term objectives. Make sure you assign responsibility to a specific individual and be specific about the timing required to complete the task. Finally, determine how the progress will be monitored on an ongoing basis and then ultimately evaluated as well.

Being organized has its own rewards in that you will feel you are prepared to succeed. You will have the answers to questions that might occur. You are ready to grow again.

Finally, remember the best time to plan is when you do not have to. Do not wait until it is essential. After all an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.