When I was a kid my family often participated in that grand tradition called, “The Sunday Drive.” You remember those long Sunday drives in the car with your family to nowhere? Sure, it was better than sitting at home because we only had three TV channels to watch and cartoons were only shown for a few hours on Saturday morning, but when you got back home didn’t you always feel that you hadn’t really gone anywhere. If you leave your house and don’t stop until you reach your house, what’s the point? I always hated those Sunday drives.
More often than not we entrepreneurs are like those old Sunday drivers, only we travel at a much faster pace. We’re barreling down the business highway at 90 miles an hour and we pray that something doesn’t get in our way to slow us down or bring us to a crashing halt. I’ve left a ton of entrepreneurial road kill in my wake and I’m sure you have, too. Who has time to worry about what’s ahead when you’re busy worrying about the here and now?
Most entrepreneurs don’t have the time to look past lunch. They operate one hour at a time. They have no long range plan that takes them past the next payroll. And the most important point of all is this: they are reactive rather than proactive. They let circumstances rule their efforts rather than anticipating and managing the circumstances as they come. Such short-sightedness has led many entrepreneurs to crash and burn.
For years I was a reactive entrepreneur, meaning that I reacted to circumstances rather than planned for them. Now I am proactive. Instead of letting destiny determine the direction of my business, I am now in control. I now know exactly where I want my business to be in one year, two years, three years, and beyond. I call the process “roadmapping” and here’s how it works.
Determine your destination. Steven Covey said, “Start with the end in mind.” Therefore the first step is to determine where you want to be in one year (or two or three), both personally and professionally. Don’t forget that we entrepreneurs often blur the line between our personal and business lives, so you must take your personal desires into consideration along with your business goals.
If your destination is to have a business with a hundred employees and a million dollars in revenue, write that down. If your destination is to completely shift directions and start something new, write that down. Be as bold and outrageous as want. Shoot for the moon rather than the horizon. Big endings start with big dreams. No matter how grandiose your plan, be as descriptive as you. If your mind can envision it, your heart can make it happen.
Envision your destination. If you are planning a trip to the beach you can close your eyes and smell the ocean, hear the birds, feel the sand beneath your feet. You must be able to envision your destination with the same realism. Close your eyes and imagine your business in one year. Are you in the same location or in a new building? As you enter is there a lobby with a receptionist? Is she happy to see you (hopefully you don’t envision her being unhappy to see you). What about your employees? Are they happy and productive? Imagine every detail and write it down.
Determine your starting point. Now take an honest look at where your business is today. Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking into your business for the first time. What do you see and how does it differ from the business you just envisioned? What steps must you take to get from point A, where you are today, to point B, where you want your business to be in one, three or five years.
Create your roadmap. The next step is to create the roadmap that will get you from point A to point B. Just as you wouldn’t take a long road trip without a map or directions (unless you’re a guy), you shouldn’t plan a journey in business growth without a plan. Your roadmap will detail steps you must take to get you to your final destination. For example if you envision dominating a certain market, what steps must you take to accomplish that goal? Perhaps making contacts in that market, doing market research, changing your business model, coming up with a new product, etc. All of these things should be listed on your roadmap.
Anticipate roadblocks. Finally, list what you see as the greatest challenges in the road ahead. Will you need funding for your adventure? Will you need to hire more employees? Are there competitors in your way? Are there impending market conditions that may prove hazardous? Identifying the roadblocks before you start your journey will help you prepare to deal with them when they pop up.
Hit the road today! Once you have your roadmap on paper you must get started right away or you’re in danger of running out of gas. What actions can you take today, tomorrow, next week, next month, etcetera, to get you where you want to be. Just having the plan does you absolutely no good. It’s like having the keys to a sports car you never drive. You must concentrate on the plan every second of your day. You must do things that move you closer and closer to your destination. There should not be a single day that goes by when you are not moving ahead.
Repeat the process. When you reach the end of the road you are not finished. Each ending is a new beginning. You plot a new destination, create a new roadmap, and keep going. Your business should be headed toward a destination everyday, not just on a perpetual Sunday drive.
by Tim Knox
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