Financial Planning for Small Business Owners

What I teach business leaders is simple, but not simplistic. I help them remove common frustrations by implementing the same basic tools that successful companies employ. Simplifying, applying technology to, documenting and fine-tune all of your core processes (e.g HR, marketing, sales, operating, customer-retention, accounting, etc). As a result, business leaders come out feeling more in control, enjoyment and less stressed. Their companies are more profitable, more focused and staffed by great employees. Our system is about embracing change and these three fundamental beliefs:

1. You must build and maintain a true leadership team (not dictatorship) that all agree the problems in the company are also their problems.
2. It’s inevitable you hit the ceiling on three different levels: as a company, departmentally and as individuals.
3. You must have one abiding vision, one voice, one culture and one operating system. 

You are not your business. Your business is an entity in and of itself. Yes, you created it, but to find success, you have to turn it into a self-sustaining organism. Reaching the next level requires more than just a widget or service, or a simple determination to succeed You need skills, tools and a system to optimize your people, processes, execution, management, and communication. 

One thing I’ve learned from working with business leaders for over a decade is our system is not for every business leader. The simple truth is for a satisfactory engagement the members of the leadership team must be growth-oriented (either internally or externally) and willing to be vulnerable or open-minded.

If you want to be a growth-oriented business leader, start by asking yourself these questions about your business goals, instead of going straight to numbers:

• What makes your business unique? What do you love about it?
• What areas should you delegate more to elevate yourself to operate at your highest and best use?
• What are your sales or growth goals for the next year?
• Tell me about your ideal customer: What are their needs? What problem do you solve for them?
• Who do you rely on to do what you do? What do they do for you?
• What do you need in order for your business to run perfectly?
• Are your scorecard data points leading or lagging (e.g. financial results)?