I don’t mean to rush 2015 out the door, but the holiday decorations are going up and you are already trying to close just a few more sales in December to goose the year. So really, have you created your plan for 2016?
Starting with the outside world: instability in the Middle East and dropping consumption in China may put downward pressure on our economy. And, we have elections in the U.S. that create uncertainty and may delay some federal spending and speed up others. Inflation doesn’t seem to be going up and jobs are improving slowly.
So, if there is a steady but slowly growing economy, the rest is up to you.
Besides all the other challenges you look at when making your plan, here are some thoughts to consider:
What new markets do you need to be testing?
Do you have new products or services to offer?
How are you reaching out to existing and potential customers in new ways?
How are you using social media?
Is your technology keeping up with your need to be the best supplier of your services?
Do you make it more convenient for customers to buy from you than your competitors?
What makes you different today, and then, what will make you different 3 years from now?
What will it take in 2016 to be even more successful in 2017?
Add your own questions — yep, the ones that keep you up at night.
Take some time this week and make sure your plan isn’t just good for 2016, make it good for 2017 and 2018.
Illustration courtesy of http://essentialsofbusiness.ufexec.ufl.edu/