How to write a business strategy (ready, steady, Post-It)

The clocks are about to go back. There’s a nip in the air. Leaves are turning golden. It can mean only one thing. Time to start planning your Halloween costume. Well, yes, but that’s beside the point. Now is the perfect time to start writing your 2022 business strategy. Get it started now and give yourself time to think, be creative and have it all ready to roll before the first sprout is peeled for Christmas.

Here are some of our strategy questions we use with our clients, based around the five growth stones you need as a foundation for a growing business. Seed these questions into your planning process, they are the starting point for planning and ideas.

Seed one | BRAND STORY

We are all at different stages with our brand story, but it is always the right time to take another look to make sure it is fit for purpose before you start your strategy. Key questions you want to be asking are:

Do we have a single-minded, clear proposition?

This is a statement about your purpose, what you promise to deliver for your customers and the benefits they get, and should ideally reference what makes you so good at what you do.

Do people understand what we stand for and what to achieve as a business?

Stand for something. Uncover your fundamental brand belief and put this front and centre of your story, so people can get on board and want to be part of your brand clan.

Do we have stand-out from other businesses doing what we do?

Know your difference. You are probably in a crowded industry: your difference will be a key part of why a prospect buys from you, because it goes a long way to answer the question in every prospect’s mind: why should I choose you?

Write down your proposition, state your mission and what you stand for and pinpoint what makes you different: this will be an invaluable framework from which to start your strategy.

Seed two | AUDIENCE

Your audience is the sum total of your customers, your prospects, your associates, suppliers, supporters and raving fans, and slicing your audience into types will be so useful to you as you plan for growth.

Key questions you want to be exploring are:

Who are my customer types?

You can slice them by offering they take, geography, industry… whatever works for your business.

What challenge or issue do they have? The 3am wake-up worry?

They may have several, but identify the over-riding challenge they have.

What can you offer that solves this challenge?

Articulate the ‘end state’ of working with you or buying from you – by all means tell them what they should buy (that training programme, that subscription, that piece of jewellery, that workspace desk) but focus on the benefit and end result (enhanced skill to do your job more effectively, a regular dose of inspiration, a stunning celebration memento to bring lasting joy, peace and quiet and better productivity).

What do they want to hear from you?

Write a few lines for each audience type about what they want to hear from you – this will help you match the right brand messages to the right audience for maximum impact.

Seed three | Offering

What is it that you sell? It may be a range of products or services or a blend of both, but mapping out your offering, plotting income and understanding entry points for customers along with a map of purchases can help refine your marketing messages and create focus for growth.

Consider:

Do you have a map of your offering?

Think of a family tree or organisational diagram, with your business at the top and ‘themes’ of products / services, that break down into smaller offerings.

Do you have a hero product / service?

Identify the ‘flag ship’ product or service that could deliver most value and benefit for the customer and drive best value into your business. Understand how to create a spotlight on this, so that customers see how you can best serve them.

What are your income targets by offering?

Plot your desired income for the next 12 months, and understand which products and services drive this income. Which drive the most profit? Which need to grow / shrink between now and then?

Seed four | Vision

Before you create a map for growth, understand your destination, or your vision. The more detailed and ‘technicolour’ it is, the more likely it will help create momentum.

What is your ONE audacious goal for the next 12 months?

Be bold. If the goal is not slightly panic-inducing, make it bigger.

What will your business look, feel and sound like in 12 months?

Start writing or speaking into your memo recorder to answer this. Don’t edit yourself. Get it all out. Then revisit and edit. Hone down and create one short paragraph that captures the essence of your future business.

Seed five | Action plan

Unsurprisingly, this is where the action happens. Review everything you have thought, written and considered above:

What are ALL the key actions you need to take to make things happen?

Jot each one down on a separate Post-It. And yes, there will be loads. If you have revised your brand story what needs to happen with this? You might need to update your website, change your networking pitch, create content to reinforce the new messages. And so on.

When do these actions need to happen?

Actions without end dates are just wishes on coloured square-shaped paper. Look at what needs doing, be sensible about what time you have in any given week or month to work on them, and create a timeline with your action Post-Its (this can be sheets of paper for each month spaced on the floor, the back of an old roll of wallpaper or a white board).

Creating a strategy can feel daunting for small business owners who have not done it before. Take each growth stone in turn, allow for a slice of focused time for each and start to compile your strategy. Keep an open, creative mind, as this is the time to dream big, explore all the ideas you have about how to take your business forward and create an exciting plan for 2022.

Still not sure? No problem. Why not join in with Get Growing 2022? It is a five week online programme, with weekly hour-long group workshops that run each week. Plus you get a 30 minute 121 with Jodie that you can plug in any time during the programme or up until the second week of January, so you get an injection of ideas and support just when you need it. We will be covering the five growth stones and getting all the thinking in place so you can create your 2022 strategy well in time for the Christmas break, so you can start back in January with clarity and momentum.

For information, dates and to book a seat round the Get growing table, pop on over to the Get Growing listing on our site. Hope to see you there to help you write your business strategy and get growing for 2022.