What you about to learn here is probably the most powerful and key ingredient to any successful business venture. If this simple principle is adhered to, it will make the difference between failing, being mediocre or being very successful.
Before you start any “Business” Project, you must first construct a “Plan” of what you intend to do. This is vital and you will be surprised how many people tend to make it up as they go a long or try to “Wing it” for a bit, before sitting down and doing this absolutely critical part of any venture. There is a very old and true saying that goes “Plan your work and then work your plan”.
Take your time with this and give it some thought. Like writing a book, you will only have to do it once but the work you put in has the potential to bring you a financial return for the rest of your life.
A good “Plan” will consist of three interrelated parts:
1. A Goal
2. The Strategy
3. The Tactics
If you do not know the difference between “Strategy” and “Tactics”, it is very important to learn. In it's basic format the “Goal” is the place you are aiming to arrive at. The “strategy” is the map and route you intend to take and finally the “tactics” are the methods that you will use to get there.
Lets us expand the analogue of the journey and hope that it becomes clearer for you.
The Goal
Remember our “Plan” is composed of three distinct parts. Say that the Goal is to reach somewhere like Paris by the end of the Month. In describing this goal, we have already defined one condition, the time it will take. We could add another condition and say we want to do this as cheaply as possible. We write this down and record it, as this now dictates our strategy, which comes next.
The Strategy
In developing our strategy, we must constantly refer to our Goal to see if it meets the conditions we set. So, let say that the easiest way to travel to Paris would be in our own vehicle. This would adequately satisfy the time restraint but what about the cost. Perhaps we could purchase a second hand vehicle and sell it when we arrive in Paris to recoup the costs? Now we formalise the strategy and work out the route, where we stop and in this case also the budget, enabling us to see what sort of vehicle we can afford. These are the constraints and requirements that we need for the next and final piece of the plan, the tactics.
The Tactics
So now we draw up our tactics this will include purchasing a vehicle, fuel, provisions and everything we will need for the trip.
See how each part of the planning helps to lay the foundation for the part following it, this is very important and I will try to make that clear. In a good business the strategy dictates the tactics and never, never the other way around. This is why it is so important to learn how to differentiate between Strategy and Tactics.
This business skill alone can make the difference between a mediocre and a successful business. For example supposing you met someone on the way to Paris who was willing to pay you for a lift but it would take you out of your way, to take them where they wanted to go. This would be a change of tactics and might seem like a good idea.
When you consult your strategy you find that it will take extra fuel and increase your costs, it will take extra time and affect your time table, throwing out your schedule. Instead of concentrating on your goal, you are now contemplating becoming a Taxi service. This change in tactics will adversely affect your overall strategy and in turn delay you from achieving your goal. You must never let tactics dictate your strategy.
How often do you plan to do something and get distracted, we all do. Normally there is not much harm done and we eventually get back on track but in business these decisions can be crucial. How often do you get tempted to buy an amazing new piece of software to make you business easier. You had not realised you needed it till it was pointed out.
What do you do next? You look for a way to use the software. You let your tactics, dictate your strategy. Some people spend there life buying new bits of clever software and spend a proportionately greater time trying to find a use for them.
Once you have your plan and are working it, do not get distracted by things like this. New software, new methods, new reports. You have already worked out what you need to do. If it is not dictated by your strategy, you do not need any more “new” tactics. They will only prove to be a waste of time and money.
That is not to say that they would not be valuable and useful to someone, just not to you. They will only make you take your eye off the ball. So, I think we can add to that old adage we mentioned earlier and say Plan your work, work your plan and Stick to your plan”
Example: Plan to be a successful author
As a practical example let us construct a “Plan” to become a successful Author. For a “Goal” let us say that we have decided that our definition of a successful author is one who earns an above average amount of money but also has enough spare time to research and travel. For this amount of financial and social freedom you will probably have to self publish and exercise some degree of control over selling your books, but you will not want it to take up to much of your time in day to day running.
So, here we have defined our “Goal” and certain conditions that will define our strategy. Write this down fully, as six months, a year or five years down the line, you might want to review your target. As circumstances change you will find a reminder of your thinking invaluable.
As a Strategy you might next decide that the easiest way to fill the criteria you set in your “Goal” is to write a series of books.These could be sold on-line from your own Website, which could be set to sell on automatic pilot thereby relieving you from the day to day selling tasks. This will also give you the ability to Log in and check your Website from anywhere in the world you happen to be, while on your travels. Similarly, you could accept payments into an on-line bank.
These decisions will dictate your tactics that come next, slowly moving from the general to the particular. As before you now have a permanent record of how you arrived at your choices and how they came about, which you will find extremely useful in the future.
Next you must plan your tactics. This is the nuts and bolts of the operation and this will read like a shopping list. For instance you will need some decent word processing software to write your books and ways of recording your research. You will need a Website and a host. A way of converting your book into Digital Format An Automatic Digital Delivery Service like “SmartDD” to accept payments, deliver your books and send pre written follow up emails. An on-line Bank account like Paypal to accept payments.
You could also offer “Hardback” and “Paperback” versions of your work through Print on Demand Services like Lulu.com. You could also offer a CD version or even Audio versions of your book through Kunaki.com. You can increase your market by cross selling, making sure that links to all your products are available in everything you sell.
Remember that all these services are accessed on-line through you Website making the entire selling process on automatic, 24 hours a day, seven days week, 12 months a year.
The Great Secret
The great secret of achieving success has nothing to do with being clever, there are plenty of poor intelligent people in the world. It has nothing to do with the start you have in life. I have seen people rise from the gutter to become successful and those from wealthy backgrounds inherit fortunes and loose them just as quickly. You might believe that the secret is hard work and it is in part but there are plenty of people in the world that have no choice but to work hard ever day of their life, just to barely survive and with never even getting a wisp of the opportunities you have.
No, the one thing that successful people have in common is they are “focused”. They set themselves a goal, they draw up their plan, and come what may, they do not stop till they achieve it. They decide what they want and they go for it, without letting anything distract them. This is real Magic Ingredient, whether it is writing, setting up a business, whatever. Focus on it, do it to the best of your ability. Put in your full effort, you owe this to yourself if you want badly enough to succeed. Remember you only have to do this once. Do it right and it will be giving you a return for the rest of your life.
Having sorted out your “business” plan, the next thing you need to sort out is your “Marketing” plan using the same system again. Define your Goal, your Strategy and your Tactics.
