Most of us have a bucket list created for our personal lives living in our thoughts or being utilized as a functional document. A bucket list is the thoughts, dreams and goals that we want to achieve in our lifetime. It serves as a roadmap to guide and lead us to reach each of those goals.
A bucket list outlines:
- A list of your life goals
- A reminder to focus and live by your personal values
- How you will find joy by fulfilling your goals
Your business plan should serve as the bucket list for your firm.
Developing your initial business plan is essential in achieving the goals you have realized in your mind and will provide you with a written plan to follow, evaluate and revise. Just as you achieve and make changes to your personal bucket list, you will do the same with your business plan.
A bucket list can change your life. A business plan will improve results.
Ironstone’s research shows us that approximately 40% of financial advisors actually have a written business plan and even fewer have a marketing plan. Those firms that implemented a completed business plan have 50% more profits and revenue than firms without a plan.
Your business plan will:
- Provide you with a complete view of your firm and allow you to examine its viability
- Show you potential areas for growth and success
- Ensure that your entire team is committed to each goal
- Communicate your vision and mission
- Help you gain an understanding of opportunities and challenges facing your firm
- Outline areas to create strategies and tactics to reach each goal
In our blog, “Creating A Roadmap For The Success Of Your Firm” http://aeschlapia.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/business-plans-creating-a-roadmap-for-the-success-of-your-firm/ we provided 13 focus areas to include in your business plan. Refer to the focus areas when developing or updating your business plan by incorporating each to gain optimal benefits.
A well thought out “bucket list” or business plan will lay a comprehensive strategy and timeline, both personally and firm wise, for achievement and promising stages of growth. Download our Business Overview Snapshot to get started on creating your firm’s business plan. Business Overview Snapshot
Have a Plan B
Be sure to create back-up plans. We all know there is one constant in life, change. Examine the challenges you might face and determine how you will overcome them by redefining your existing strategies.
Once you have developed your business plan, don’t file it away until the end of the year. Use your business plan as a GPS guidance system for running your practice. Update it often; real-time changes are ideal. Doing so will ensure you are following your plan, creating actions to meet your objectives and allow you to hone in on areas that need re-crafted strategies.
Communicate your business plan to your team in order to effectively bring it to life and track milestones to enhance your overall business focus.
As you begin to develop or review your business bucket list, contact Ironstone for templates, tips and best practices that will assist you in taking your firm to the next level. We have numerous tools and aides available for you and insight that will help you reach the goals you have set for yourself and your firm. Consider a team development workshop on creating bucket lists – we can help!
Last but not least, enjoy the journey!
We are curious!! Share your bucket list with us! What do you want to accomplish in life?
Follow us as we explore each of Ironstone’s Fundamental 4™!
- Strategic Planning
- Business Development
- Operational Effectiveness
- The Human Element
Coming up next, learn about business development and your referral network!
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