Organization and planning go hand-in-hand like peanut butter & jelly. Planning is very important to have a successful business; it helps you identify goals and potential risks. So what can you do to organize the planning process?
3 Steps to Organized Planning
Identify and research the target demographic.
Who are they? What piques their interest? You have to keep the end-user in mind throughout the whole process. Focus on what you’re good at and how you can help. What’s in it for them? What problem are you solving? Research, research, research. Researching will help you come to reasonable conjectures, just be sure you’re not losing the information you just spent time collecting. Take notes on the essentials. Larger companies spend millions on research so don’t take this step lightly.
OT Tip – If you’re researching competitors, make a list. You can also bookmark folders to your web browser so they’re easier to come back to. If you’ve come across valuable information, make another bookmark folder or Google Docs/Sheets so you can access it 24/7.
Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based (S.M.A.R.T.) goals.
This means your goals should be made clear, have a way to be tracked, can be achieved, are relevant, and can be completed on time. Write everything out from beginning to end. Track and review key analytical data on Google Analytics, social media, etc. Recognize what is or isn’t working and pivot accordingly. Make sure you organize goals in order of importance, short-term vs. long-term and check them off your list as you complete them. As Jocko Willink would say, prioritize and execute.
Put the plan into action.
Set action steps to achieve your goal(s). Put yourself in the position to win by determining where everyone’s attention is and execute; you’re either going to need to educate or entertain. When innovating, you have to jump to the next curve. Be sure if you have deadlines, to put them in a planner or calendar and set reminders on your phone/computer so you don’t miss anything. If you come across a setback, reevaluate and adjust, then get back to the plan.
“Know yourself and you will win all battles.” – Sun Tzu
Do you have any tips to organize your planning process? Leave a comment below!
