Business Planning
Tell me if any of these sound familiar…
You have plenty of ideas, but very little time to actually work on them. You always feel like you should be doing more.
Long-term business planning feels pointless, because so many things are constantly changing.
You want to make progress on your business goals, but you spend most of your time in reactive mode, taking care of customers and admin work.
You’re not alone; finding time for business planning is difficult, especially for solo business owners.
Even executives in the corporate world have a hard time with it.
But they have in-house strategy & operations advisors, whose sole job is to craft and carry out strategic plans.
I want you to have access to a solution like that, too.
I used to be one of those advisors, at Google. But the people I really wanted to work with were small business owners. (No offense to corporate execs, but small biz owners are cooler and way more fun.)
I want to use my experience to help people like you. You’re not out here to put competitors out of business (often, they’re your friends!)—but to contribute to a vibrant local ecosystem and help people who need what you have to offer.
Those things are important to me too.
Whether your business is large or small, new or established, product or service-based—working with me on a strategic plan will help you clarify what matters most to you and motivate you to accomplish your most important business goals.
Overview
This service is for business owners who have a lot to do, and not much time to do it.
If you’re always in reactive mode–taking care of your customers, putting out fires, and trying to find enough hours in the day to keep things running–you don’t have much time to spend on business planning. I can take it off your plate.
I’ll organize your goals and to-dos into a customized strategy, map out your step-by-step path to achieve those goals, and create a simple, beautiful calendar-based plan for you to get it all done.
We’ll have monthly accountability meetings to maintain your momentum and make sure you feel 100% supported throughout the duration of your plan.
Keep reading for all the details, and email me with any questions.
What Clients are Saying
Business Planning Service Tiers
I offer three tiers of business planning—so no matter your timeline, number of goals, or budget, there’s an option for you.
There are two Strategic Planning service tiers: 6 months and 12 months. For details about Strategic Planning, click here.
The third tier is Sprint Planning, which is a 3-month “lightweight” option. For details about Sprint Planning, click here.
The Strategic Planning Process (6 or 12 Months)
I created my strategic planning process based on my past corporate strategy & operations work, plus my experience operating my own small businesses.
I guide and advise business owners as they define what they want to do, why it matters to them, and create a step-by-step plan for exactly how they can complete their goals.
*ORTs stands for Objectives, Results, & Tactics—my planning framework that allows for both long-term strategy setting AND short-term action planning.
It’s highly effective and answers two critical questions:
“What are my biggest goals?” and
“What can I do right now to move closer to achieving them?”
1. Business Values & Guardrails
In our first planning session, we’ll have a wide-ranging discussion to reveal the core values that motivate you & drive your decision-making, and define the guardrails, or boundaries, you need to honor to avoid burnout
Clients often tell me this conversation feels like a much-needed business therapy session.
These values and guardrails provide a foundation for the rest of our planning process.
To keep them top of mind, I’ll share a personalized Business Values & Guardrails Assessment report with you after our session:
Note: The Business Values & Guardrails Assessment is included in 6-month and 12-month strategic planning packages only. It is not included in the 3-month sprint planning package.
2. Brainstorming Your Goals
In our second session, we’ll brainstorm all the goals you have for your business—no filters. We’ll talk about why these goals are important to you, what’s blocked you from pursuing them, and whether they align with your values and guardrails.
I’ll also suggest goals based on your big-picture vision, or if I see gaps in your business’s operational foundation. My suggestions are usually related to financial management, risk mitigation, or efficiency improvements.
There’s no obligation to include my suggestions; the goals in your plan are 100% your call.
3. Building Your Objectives, Results, & Tactics
After brainstorming your goals, I get to work mapping them onto my planning framework: Objectives, Results, & Tactics.
My strategic planning experience enables me to transform an unstructured list of goals into a cohesive strategic vision, with specific outcomes and actions that will lead to those outcomes.
During this done-for-you step, I map your goals onto my ORTs framework and prepare a complete view of your objectives tied to your business values, the results you’ve identified as your top priorities, and the step-by-step tactics to achieve your goals.
A typical 6-month strategic plan includes 3-5 Objectives.
4. Mapping & Prioritizing Your Goals
This is our third and final planning session. I’ll present the Objectives, Results, and Tactics I’ve created for you and integrate your feedback. We’ll make sure the Objectives resonate with your vision, and that all the relevant Tactics are included for each Result.
The mapping process is when we assign each of your Tactics a “due date” in your plan. This creates a structured roadmap for you to make steady progress toward each of your goals.
Time sensitive or higher-priority goals will be scheduled earlier in your plan, and all other goals will be distributed throughout the 6 month period according to your schedule and business needs.
5. Launching Your Strategic Plan
After our final planning session, I’ll create your plan and share it with you within 10 business days. We’ll review it together and incorporate any feedback or adjustments you request.
To see what one of these plans looks like, check out a sample plan below. It’s based on a fictional business, but the Objectives, Results, & Tactics are all based on real goals from my clients (and my own business!)
6. Accountability Check-ins
After launching your plan, we’ll have 45 minute monthly accountability check-ins for the duration of the plan. These check-ins function as mini coaching sessions where we’ll discuss what’s going well, roadblocks you’re encountering, mindset or focus challenges, and anything else I can help with (even topics outside your plan!)
If you need to make a significant change to your plan, one “re-work” strategy session is included in the planning process and can be scheduled when you need it.
When you invest in a 12-month planning package, we’ll complete this process twice so we’ll have an opportunity to update your Objectives, Results, and Tactics at the 6-month halfway point.
Investment
6-Month Strategic Planning Package
For the complete strategic planning process, including Values & Guardrails assessment, one comprehensive 6-month strategic plan, accountability check-ins, & optional “rework” session—$829 paid in three installments: $250 deposit, $400 due upon delivery of your plan, $179 due after our first monthly check-in.
12-Month Strategic Planning Package
For the complete strategic planning process, including Values & Guardrails assessment, two comprehensive 6-month strategic plans (total of 12 months), accountability check-ins, & optional “rework” session—$1,499 paid in four installments: $350 deposit, $400 due upon delivery of your first 6-month plan, $350 due before starting your second 6-month plan, $399 due upon delivery of your second 6-month plan.
The Sprint Planning Process (3 Months)
The sprint planning process is similar to the strategic planning process, with a few key differences.
Keep reading for all the details, plus a chart comparing all of the feature similarities and differences between strategic & sprint planning.
1. Brainstorming Your Goals
In our first session, we’ll brainstorm the immediate short-term goals you have for your business. We’ll talk about why these goals are important to you, what progress is possible in a 3-month time frame, and if you have any deadlines (such as an event or launch) to accommodate as part of your plan.
2. Building Your Objectives, Results, & Tactics
Similar to the strategic planning process, I’ll map your short-term goals to my Objectives, Results, and Tactics planning framework.
The key difference is that a sprint plan typically has 2 short-term Objectives, rather than 3-5 long-term Objectives in a 6-month strategic plan.
3. Mapping & Prioritizing Your Goals
This is our second (and final) planning session. I’ll present the Objectives, Results, and Tactics I’ve created for you and integrate your feedback. We’ll make sure the Objectives resonate with you, and that all the relevant Tactics are included for each Result.
The mapping process is when we assign each of your Tactics a “due date” in your plan. This creates a structured roadmap for you to make steady progress toward each of your goals.
Your short-term goals will be distributed throughout the 3 month sprint period according to your schedule and business needs.
4. Launching Your Sprint Plan
After our final planning session, I’ll create your personalized plan and share it with you within 5 business days. We’ll review it together and incorporate any feedback or adjustments you request. Then your plan is officially launched!
5. Accountability Check-ins
After launching your sprint plan, we’ll have monthly 30 minute accountability check-ins for the duration of the plan. These sessions are used to review the current month’s progress, look forward to next month and anticipate any roadblocks, and discuss any challenges or questions that have come up for you since our last meeting.
Investment
For the complete sprint planning process, including a comprehensive 3-month plan and monthly accountability check-ins: $489 paid in two installments ($200 deposit before we start, $289 due after I deliver your plan to you.)
Business Planning Package Feature Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
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Think of a strategic or sprint plan as business GPS. Your plan provides the step-by-step directions to move you closer to achieving your most important goals.
Having a thoughtfully-crafted, detailed plan enables you to:
—Define your vision and align your business activities with it.
—Use your limited time and energy effectively.
—Stop procrastination by knowing exactly what you should be working on, when it’s happening in your plan, and why it’s important to you.
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There’s no “wrong” time for putting a plan in place, but there are times when having a plan can be crucial to overcoming a challenge or making the most of an opportunity, such as:
—Persevering through a big change in your business, like a pivot or expansion.
—Preparing yourself and your business for a period of growth, team expansion, or push to the next level.
—Reacting to a slow-down, plateau, or loss of momentum in a way that will enable you to clarify your next steps and move forward with purpose.
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For most business owners, a 6-month strategic plan is the best option for clarifying and prioritizing business goals and creating a detailed roadmap for achieving them. If you want to articulate a long-term vision that’s aligned with your values and guardrails, the strategic planning process is best.
The sprint planning process works well when you want to address a smaller number of goals in a shorter time frame. For instance, if you want to accomplish a few defined goals to prepare for an upcoming busy season, event, or launch, a sprint plan will focus your time and energy on exactly what you need to do before that deadline arrives.
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From our first planning session to the launch of your plan takes about 4 weeks.
We’ll have three planning sessions, then I create your plan and deliver it to you within 10 business days. We’ll review it together and officially launch it!
After launch, we’ll meet monthly for accountability & advisement sessions throughout the duration of your plan.
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From our first planning session to the launch of your sprint plan takes about 2.5 weeks.
We’ll have two planning sessions, then I create your plan and deliver it to you within 5 business days. We’ll review it together and officially launch it!
After launch, we’ll meet monthly for accountability & advisement sessions throughout the duration of your plan.
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Nope! This process is flexible to meet the needs of different businesses and situations. We’ll discuss any goals you already have, your overall vision, and collaborate on selecting any additional goals that make sense.
If you’d like support with defining your overall vision or direction, I offer optional “pre-planning” sessions as an add-on, where we’ll have targeted discussions to clarify your big picture so we can map the steps to get there.
Ask me about this option in our free intro call to see if it would be helpful for you.
Don’t see your question here? Email me or submit it through the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Next steps
If you’re ready to get a step-by-step plan in place to reach your goals, the next step is to schedule a free 30 minute intro call with me.
After our conversation, I’ll share a detailed written proposal for how we can work together on a sprint or strategic plan for your business.
Looking for something a little different? Check out my business operations analysis and general consulting services.