When you’re planning for your business, whether it’s new or existing, start at the start. What I mean by that is, you have to have some general plans in place, before you can get specific.
Without having that broad strategy and concept in place, any specific plans won’t share the same alignment. The result is an tangential mess. You may have several lower level plans in place, but each is doing it’s own thing.
Now, all this doesn’t mean you must have a written document for every single plan or strategy you have. Those of you who have read my earlier articles know that I’m careful of over planning. Defining things too much means you miss opportunity, and spend too much time worrying about pointless detail. However, in all cases, you do need to have those broad strategies and concepts set in stone. Whether it’s in your mind, or on paper, they just need to be definite before you move onto lower level plans.
It doesn’t matter how great your plans are. If you start at the end, you’re kidding yourself.