”Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”  Steve Jobs

I saw some startling figures from the Bureau of Labor & Statistics.  Coming from the automotive industry, I was well aware of the decline of jobs.  However, the facts still struck me.  Since January 2005, there has been a 41.5% reduction in automotive manufacturing jobs.  In the last year alone, the industry experienced a decline of 22.8%. (Seasonally adjusted employment numbers for Manufacturing – Motor Vehicles & Parts).

You don’t have to be victims of this economy.  Take action to control your future.

Recessions are great times of opportunity for those willing to invest in themselves and their ideas.  Do you have an idea for a business, but don’t know how to move to action?  Have you always wanted to start your own business?  Whatever your dream may be now is the time to act! 

Yesterday I met with a friend who wants to take his business to the next level.  We reviewed his financial goals, motivation, desire, income producing activities, and marketing strategy.  There is so much to starting a business or revitalizing an existing one, it can seem very overwhelming.  Just starting strategic conversations can be a relief to an aspiring business owner who feels alone in the endeavor. 

Planning is brining the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.  Move forward with your business idea.  Do something about your future today.  Everyone has talents and gifts that can earn them money.  Today’s economy just demands that you get creative to find the right opportunities.  Persevering through strategic planning and execution will bring success to entrepreneurs who take action to move forward each and every day.

A great business idea is worth $1.  The plan to implement that idea can be worth $1 Million!

Contact me today if you want help developing your strategic and marketing plans.  I can help you through the struggle of knowing what to do next.  Planning can eliminate the feeling of being overwhelmed with too much to do.  Visit Sarah’s Strategic Planning Website for more information.

If you have the drive and desire to start a business, but lack the money-producing idea, there are many businesses to choose from.  Here is the online sales business I recommend. 

Get started!

 A Strategy Map is a custom, one-page graphic of an organization’s strategy divided into four main segments:

Financial Perspective

What growth and cost structures are required to sustain the organization and meet financial objectives? (Lag Performance Indicators)

Customer Perspective

How does your organization appear to your customers via your products, services, marketing, and community involvement?  (Lag Performance Indicators)

Internal Perspective

What processes must the organization develop to produce predictable results for our customers? (Lead Performance Indicators)

Growth & Development

What investments in human, organizational, and informational capital will your organization make to facilitate success in the Internal Perspective? (Lead Performance Indicators)

Why is it important to have a Strategy Map?  It is a communication tool that graphically displays your mission, vision and strategy.  It is easy to highlight the 3 to 5 strategic objectives that are deemed critical in strategic planning sessions.  Because the Strategy Map shows linkages and relationships between perspectives, it becomes clear where the organization will have to focus and develop its resources to ensure the success of any particular objective.

Employees and strategic partners can easily see where their work is on the map and see how their work aligns with and supports the strategic objectives.  This is the foundation for employee engagement.  When you involve employees in growing and improving your business, and provide time-proven systems for continuous improvement, your organization will experience higher levels of productivity and innovative problem solving.

Repeatable systems produce predictable results, and this holds true for strategic planning systems.  Your Strategy Map becomes the centerpiece of each annual planning meeting.  It also required to create a meaningful Balanced Scorecard, the dashboard for your company.  Key performance indicators for strategic objectives are identified and tracked regularly. 

The Strategy Map describes what you want to measure and the Balanced Scorecard defines the measurements.  If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.  Most strategic execution fails because it is not measured and tracked with diligence and vigor.

Strategy Maps are custom and can be cascaded from the organization level, to departments, and to employees.  To book your annual strategic planning meeting and create your strategy map, contact Sarah Custack at Sarah Custack Consulting. 

http://www.sarahcustackconsulting.com

sarah.custack@gmail.com

(810) 287-3530

There is more to come.  Check out the “Articles” page to see the up coming blog post titles.  I think you will find them unique!