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It’s Annual Planning Season

Our Checklist Makes It Easy

 

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by Susan Briggs in Blogs
November 14, 2016
planning

Fall is really flying by fast; it’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! That means Christmas, Hanukah and the New Year are right around the corner.

As pet care professionals, you stay very busy preparing both personally and for your business for the holidays. As this is also an important time to plan for 2017 in this post I’m sharing a checklist and tips to help you streamline and organize your planning.

For the past several years I’ve been very focused on dedicating time to planning each new year. For me this has been a big contributor to my success in growing my business and achieving personal goals. As small business owners it is important that our businesses support our personal goals and lifestyle so consider your annual planning an integrated process.

To help get you started, checkout my Annual Planning Checklist PDF. It’s a one page summary and checklist to guide you through a comprehensive annual planning process.

Once you have clarity on your personal goal and business strategy start working on the checklist items that will comprise the detail action steps of your plan. Establishing quarterly goals will make creating your annual operating budget easier and more realistic.

Keep your list of combined personal and business goals short, 7 – 10 are the most you should try and achieve. Be sure to confirm your goals are “SMART”:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Actionable
  • Realistic
  • Time-Bound

Before you finalize your planning take a final check to ensure the full picture is achievable. I find that we try to accomplish too much and get discouraged, so set yourself up for success with just a few key priorities.

You also need to confirm that you have made plans for your own self-care and time off so you recharge. Making changes in our business and personal life requires a lot of energy so be sure to prioritize your well-being.

The last step in the planning checklist is to create a list of the things you want to say yes to in your life next year. I’ve found this exercise very helpful in drawing boundaries and staying focused on my priorities when unexpected opportunities arise.

This is a busy time so divide your annual planning into multiple steps. Keep in mind you don’t have to get everything done by December 31st. Completing your plans in January is better than not planning at all. Most successful people attribute their achievements to plans and goals strategically created and implemented.

I’d love to hear your experiences with annual planning and tips you have to share with other business owners.

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