If you're like most small business owners, you are constantly working to get everything done that is needed for your business to operate successfully. You're the "chief, cook, and bottle-washer" as they say. Even if you have a team in place to assist you, you are often still entrenched IN your business.
It is important to be working IN your business, because that's how revenue is generated. However, you still need to spend time working ON your business. If you don't spend time planning, strategizing, and improving your systems, your business may someday overwhelm you and your ability to operate it.
Once a week, I meet with Michael, my operations manager, for a strategy meeting. This is when we plan out the activities and objectives for that week. Without this meeting, we would end up running in different directions, working inefficiently, and ultimately failing to reach the goals of the business.
Four times a year, we also sequester ourselves in a conference room (no phones, no email, no interruptions) for an in-depth strategy meeting. This is when we plan our strategies for the next 90 days. It's when we determine our major initiatives, adjustments needed for our current initiatives, and decide which projects are most beneficial and timely for the next few months.
Again, without these meetings, we would just continue "doing" day-to-day tasks and the business would putter along without making any major strides.
Are you taking time to strategically plan your business? If not, you should. You don't have to go to the extent that I do, but you should be having a regularly scheduled planning meeting.
Even if you are a solo-preneur and don't have a team to meet with, take some time each week/month to focus your mind on strategy (without any interruptions, of course). Also, consider joining a mastermind group to have planning discussions with other business owners. Over time, these meetings will keep your eye on the ball and your business will keep moving forward in a powerful way.
