The idea of “planning” sounds laughable right now, but you have been doing it by default all along. Your planning period simply shrunk from the year you had mapped out, down to weeks, days, or even hours. With a new year in sight, business owners finally have an opportunity to broaden the picture just a little.
Politics will be politics. COVID will be COVID. In any event, here’s what you can do to productively plan for 2021—not necessarily the entire year, but at least the first half.
Reflect
The pandemic has changed you, forever and for the better—really, it has. Maybe you worked out more or discovered a new sense of self care. Perhaps you became more adept at using technology. Certainly, you grew to be more compassionate toward others. And at the very least, even if you feel you have struggled, you’re stronger for it.
Business reflection is similar to self-reflection. While business is by no means back to the old normal, most industries are now settling into a new normal. How was your business affected during the pandemic? Take a deep breath, reflect, and then…
Evaluate
Where does your business stand right now? Let’s take another deep breath and go through the nuts and bolts.
Rent: can you continue to pay it—or is it even necessary?
Payroll: can you continue to keep your team intact, and can you possibly find a way to grow?
Don’t rush. You have time to do this. Turn the news off, too. Let’s block out the noise and give honest thought to each and every item on your profit and loss (P&L) statement. It’s therapeutic, really, and it will enable you to…
Envision
Just like the pandemic affects every person, it also affects every business. And just like you adapted and improved personally, you can do the same with your business strategy. It’s time to find that true 2.0 feeling. If you have made it this far while remaining operational, you have a formula that can work and one upon which you can expand. Double down and invest in what you believe to be your best path forward. It will give your brain the reboot it needs and also reinvigorate your team.
We’ll get back to some semblance of our normal-busy lives at some point. In the meantime, instead of dismissing 2020 as a year lost, maybe we can calculate it as time gained toward planning for 2021.
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