Usually I get a call that goes something like this:
Them: I think I need a consultant like you.
Me: For what exactly?
Them: Business planning . . .?
A lot of people think they need a business plan when they start a business or a nonprofit program, or are three years into their business or program and suddenly realize they don’t have a plan for growth. But what usually happens in my first few hours of consulting is I find out that other things are either not happening or in need of attention. Here are some things that come up when I work with local business owners and nonprofit leaders:
- Culture clash. Somewhere along the business line, the ideas, values, and core beliefs of the original intention behind the business fell out of alignment and now the staff and owners or nonprofit leaders and their board and employees are all out of whack. Or, the core values were never discussed to begin with so how would anyone know they are off kilter here?
- Marketing was an afterthought. The usual scenario is that a start up is excited to get started and announce itself with lots of press and splashy ads and then a couple years later discovers that no one cares about them anymore or sales fell off. Cutting a marketing budget to cut costs is a nail in your planning coffin.
- “We need to hire someone but we aren’t ready.” Are you sure? Have you looked at how much time and energy you or a team member spends on a job that someone else could do so much better than you so that you can grow the business and have your life back?
- “If only I had some capital.” For what? What do you really need? A staff person? A piece of equipment to increase production to grow sales? A marketing campaign to increase awareness or sales? Throwing money at your business problem doesn’t solve anything. Find out what it is you really need.
- Burnout is for burnouts. Business owners and nonprofit leaders often just need someone to be accountable to who says “it’s ok to take a couple hours to be with your family,” or “you don’t need to work 85 hours a week!” Burning out is for burnouts. Taking care of yourself first will help you take care of business. But as a business owner you have to put yourself first and allow yourself the time off, too. You set the pace and the culture.
- “I have a great idea!” And no idea where to begin. It’s ok. We’ve all been there. Brainstorm your ideas on paper, think through your priorities and your original story of the WHY of what makes you really want to do this one thing so badly you are willing to quit your day job to make it happen. Get to the heart of it. You don’t need a full-blown business plan in a 2-inch thick 3-ring binder to get started. You need a well thought out idea.
- “I took a lot of free business planning/nonprofit organizational development workshops but I still don’t know what to do.” I hear this ALL THE TIME. Unless you do the previous bullet point and get to the heart of the matter, your business planning 101 free class won’t matter. Wasting your time on financial projections on a badly thought-out plan is bad for your health. Get out of the windowless room where free classes are held and go brainstorm your idea with a creative friend. Ask people in the know to give you their two cents.
- “I have no idea what I need.” I hear this second most of all. It’s ok to not know what you need. What’s important is knowing how and when to ask for the help to get you there.
- “My original intention was to save the world.” Was it? Really? Or, did you think you had a great product that could make some money while saving the world? Or was it a great nonprofit idea that could have been a business if you’d only had the free business 101 classes? Maybe it’s actually a social enterprise you had in mind but never heard the term before and never found “your people” and therefore no one understands what value you bring or return on investment you are offering. It’s ok. You aren’t alone. There’s a whole world of social entrepreneurs waiting to speak to you.
- “I just need a new org chart.” No. No, you don’t. You need to figure out if the team you have is the team you need, if the jobs are the right ones for the business or nonprofit, if the work being done is the right work to grow your biz or org. Or should just fire someone? Or ask for more help? What do you really need here?
- “I want to start a heart-centered business.” I think you mean you want to own your own business that is in line with your values and passions. I work within a Transformational Leadership model where we discover together how YOU are connected to the WORK you do to serve the WHOLE (a product, a movement, a service, etc) so that you, your team, your biz or org are all in alignment and moving together toward a goal in a healthy way (read: requires less burnout, more consciousness and values for the greater good). I don’t realign your chakras for better profit sharing but I will help you learn to breathe through a painfully difficult conversation you might have to have with an employee or board member in order to be compassionate and get a good outcome for all involved.
- “Is Localism right for my business?” Yes. If you are the owner of an independent business that cares about sourcing from other local businesses in your region, or wants to work on import substitution models to manufacture products in your community instead of overseas, or if you simply want to open a coffee shop that sources local products and provide a nice neighborhood gathering spot and pay better, fairer wages to your staff, you are a localist, and there is a place for you in the world.
Take the time to get creative with your ideas or your problem solving, and there might be a solution right before your eyes. Be willing to look outside the box. Ask for help before you think you need it. Get out of your own head. You might be surprised by what you find and what you really need.
Time to go BIG, together. Owning your own business is a unique challenge. Join other consultants and solopreneurs in a valuable community of practice to learn ways to align your business mission with the clients you want and the work you love. Click here for more details on the upcoming BIG Retreat for Solopreneurs and Consultants.
