Bizeinstein

Business Plans and Road Maps

Although we use a GPS now more than we do roadmaps, I was looking at an old map recently and got to thinking about its similarity to a business plan.

Main thouroughfares or interstates are your basic idea.

Intersections or exit ramps are options you must decide to take -sometimes it is even necessary to reverse course a bit when you make a wrong turn or take a wrong exit just don’t back up the “off” ramp.

Corners or curves can be handled unless you’re going to fast or not paying attention; then you can lose it.

Above all, a map shows you were you started and where you are going. This is the same focus for a business plan.

A business plan won’t keep you from making mistakes but, like a map, it helps you to stay more or less on the right road until you get where you want to go; even with a few corrections along the way, Like our old maps, or the new GPS in your dash, it’s always good to have a plan ready and to actually use it.

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Pride versus Confidence

Being proud and being confident sound pretty similar and can be mistaken for each other.

We see someone who is proud of their accomplishment and they show it by raising a fist, flashing a “We’re number one” or otherwise letting you know “they done good”, at least according to them. We see others who face a situation, take a deep breath and “just do it” look at their result and move on. 

Are these the same things? I don’t think so. It’s a short journey from proud to arrogant. All too often it seems today we see more of the later than the former. Also, we see a lot of our business leaders today who don’t seem to take pride in what they do as much as they put forth a defiant stance.

Confidence is also sometimes confused with arrogance. People act out of a sense of arrogance and entitlement. Confidence is not putting others down and “slamming” your opposition. It’s acting on your beliefs in a manner that demonstrates to others that you are following your beliefs with a fairness and openmindedness.

We seem to have put these two concepts on the back burner these days. Isn’t it about time we dusted them off and returned them to our business conversation.

Posted in 50+, Business Info, Economy, General Business, Success Principles, entrepreneurship, family business, finance | 1 Comment »

Click it and shoot it

This describes many individual’s approach to using the computer. We start out with a few clicks, then a few more, then we really screw things up and get mad enough to shoot it. In tennis, we sometimes say “Grip it and rip it”. Another well oiled response to anything that gets to us.  Why do we do this?

For some of us, the computer is still not the “answer to everything”. We see people doing all sorts of things with their cell phones, mini-laptops, and other electronic devices when all we want is to be able to read our emails. Can’t remember how to use word, forgot how to create a simple formula in excel, powerpoint - forget it. We’re Luddites!

Yes, you are not alone.There are enough of the C & S philosophy (see above)  believers out there that we should have our own organization and website. If anyone has started one of these out of sheer frustration, now is the time to share it.

When you are ready to throw the *&^%^&% thing in the trashcan, what do you do?

Posted in 50+, Business Info, Economy, General Business, Management, Success Principles, entrepreneurship | No Comments »