strategy & business planning

So many businesses tell us that they don't have time to create a business plan, or it just becomes a wish list of maybes, ambitions and dreams, so they write it for a purpose (usually the bank) then file it in the folder that never gets opened again.  The Skills Collective are experts at creating a business plan that will never get stashed away - it will be the best thumbed document in the business.

Do you know what your company vision and values are? Do your employees?

How do you measure the success of your business and how regularly do you do it?

Measuring success is vital, however, it is difficult to do when you aren't sure what success looked like at the beginning of the process and you don't know how to capture the data and knowledge you need to make it an effective exercise.  Strong, understandable success measures will revolutionise your understanding of your business.

Goals should increase motivation, performance  and determination in your business. Whilst goals should be ambitious they should also be achievable.

The Skills Collective will help you set these goals for your business considering external factors, internal strengths and the desires of stakeholders in the business. We will also help you understand how to measure them as you work towards your goals so that they become a fundamental part of how you do business. 

 Time for some business terminology!

It's critical to understand what external factors will impact your business, so that you are ready to face them when and if they happen.  From changes in laws, or rate changes in business banking to new environmental legislation, or a new social media platform talking over the world, get informed. 

Similarly you want to know what your business strengths are and just as importantly, what your weaknesses are.  If you know these things, then you’re ready to deal with them.

Understanding who your competitors are and what they do is an essential exercise and an integral part of creating a  business plan.  Why does it matter what others are doing?  Because it matters to your customers.  Almost every customer or client you gain will have done some competitor analysis.  They'll compare price, reviews by other customers and a number of other factors that will determine which business they choose. 

So what do you know about the people who buy your products or services?  
Creating customer personas from excellent consumer research is the cornerstone of developing your brand, your tone of voice and resulting advertising. 

It's also critical to understand what external factors will impact your business, so that you are ready to face them when and if they happen.  From changes in laws, or rate changes in business banking to new environmental legislation, or a new social media platform talking over the world, get informed. Similarly you want to know what your business strengths are and just as importantly, what your weaknesses are.  If you know these things, then you’re ready to deal with them. 

Bringing all of this research and knowledge together will give you insight that you've never had before of your business.  It will give you direction and clarity and a renewed focus to succeed.  It will have goals for you and your team to achieve and it will measure your success every step of the way.  A business plan that will reflect you, your business and your aspirations.