Your Business GPS

Do you remember the planning of a road trip?  The excitement of the road trip and what was at the end of the road trip?  I remember as a child travelling from Perth, Western Australia, across the Nullabor, through South Australia, Victoria, NSW and finally to Queensland, before heading back again across back to WA.  The places we stopped, the people we met and the experience were priceless.  Over 40 years later and I have vivid memories of seeing snow for the first time, climbing the "Big Banana" and the "Big Pineapple" eating McDonalds for the first time and seeing "The Cross".  As a child my brother and I were along for the ride, my parents of course had set the trip up, planned the stops and anticipated any emergency.  Taking a young family across Australia in a camper van, takes some planning.  Back in  those days there was no GPS but there was a map at hand and a keen eye on the destination. 

We as business owners need to have our eye on the destination and set ourselves up with a business GPS.  The fun and the journey of being a business owner is all in the people we meet, the experiences we gather and the opportunities that are bestowed upon us.   Sometimes, it can be easy to divert for a bright shiny object, follow another person's vision, get lost in overwhelm and all other matters of misdirection.  Having a good business GPS, helps us to stay on track and not divert to a dead end road or a cul-de-sac, it helps us to maintain a clear vision of what we ant our future business to look like at the destination.
 
A business plan can act as a GPS and also using some clear guiding questions around your business to formulate what your destination looks like at the end.  
Why do I want this business?
When do I want this business to be at it's peak
What do I want it to look like in XX years?
How will I develop this business?
Who is my target market?
Where will I promote my business?
Guiding and open ended questions are a great way to plan your journey so you know exactly what to put in your business GPS.

---