I have written these past few weeks about ways to wrap up this calendar year in our businesses and get ready for the next one. Budgeting and planning are part of the package, as well as getting ready to pay taxes and organizing record-keeping for the end of the year. I thought it might be work mentioning, however, that not every home business needs to plan for big changes in the upcoming twelve months. It is a perfectly legitimate planning technique to plan to keep to a status quo for a period of time…
Having a long term plan for your business can help to map out growth and changes that you can control. Of course, there will always be those surprises and shifts in the economy or your industry that you do not see coming. Trends, personal issues, and other external factors can always surprise us in the ways the affect our business. Having that plan, however, can help us to weather those storms. This does not mean that we have to plan for constant change, growth and upheaval in our businesses. If you have had a rough year, or are in the midst of a rapid growth cycle, it might make more sense to plan for things to level out in the coming year. Keeping to the status quo for a short period of time is certainly reasonable.
There is a difference between complacency and planning for a period with minimal changes. The important thing to remember is not to expect to stay in one place too long. If you are planning to stick to the status quo for a future period, you can still plan in “some” growth–maybe a small percentage; or if you expect to make a purchase or other major change in the future and want to get a few more months of stability under your belt–you can also enter a “flat” period. By planning long-term, you can anticipate when you will be ready for more major changes in your business again, and when you need to stick to the status quo.
Also: Is it Time for a New Bank?
Losing Focus…and Getting it Back
Getting December Under Control