This article is from your MYB Consultancy for small business owners, in fact any business owner

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Over and over again as I work with small business owners I find some don't have much of a plan, little own a Master Business Plan. Sure, I find the more successful ones do, but rarely do I find that they work their plan well or that the plan is actually comprehensive. This is great for my consultancy of course because we have something really powerful to get moving on. We need a Master Business Plan.

I guess I'm a bit like a builder, they can't start without a plan and neither can I. How can I help you as much as I am capable of if you and I don't have your Master Business Plan.

This is the easiest and most common sense way to make a comprehensive Master Plan:

1.Create Picture No. 1. This is a picture of what your business looks likes to you. It can be now or it can be in 1 year, it can be longer. If you don't know what it looks like how do you know what you want your living picture to be. To get anything you have to see it first.

2.Create Picture No. 2. This is a picture of what your business looks like from the inside. Think about this as an outsider would so that your emotions don't get in the way. Be objective so that you find both the good and the bad. Know how you really are.

3.Create Picture No. 3 This is a picture of what your business looks like from the outside. You need to know and think about how you are perceived and how the market place is affecting you. Again, be objective so that you can find both the good and the bad. Know how your are perceived.

4.Create your Master Picture. This becomes your master plan. It is the combination of your pictures 2 and 3. You have a list of all the bad and all the good. Now you can turn the bad into good. This is your guide to the actions you need to take to have the business you want. You know what makes up your picture.

5.Know what actions you will take. All the bad things need to have your ideas about how you will turn them into good things. This will give you a very clear picture of the right actions to take. A clear picture contributes to a clear plan

6.Know how long each action will take. Think through what is required for each action to be put into effect. This will give you a realistic understanding of the work you will need to do for each one. You can then work out how long each one will take. You can create timeframes to work with.

8.Know what your priority actions are. Think about the effect each action will have when it has been completed. It makes sense to set targets against each one in terms of when you want to achieve the results. You'll know what is of more urgent importance.

7.Know when you will take these actions. This is really important to the business. You know what's involved and you know the priorities. You need to schedule these into your daily activities so that you complete the actions when you want to and need to. You have clear steps to take.

9.Know how it feels when you achieve your plan. How you feel will determine how committed and focused you are to your plan. When you consider your Master Plan look at the benefits you will gain, and how these benefits will make you feel. Visualise it because that will get you motivated.

10Track your progress. If we don't know how we are tracking its hard to keep your momentum going. You also need to make sure you are dealing with the challenges that are slowing you down perhaps. You need to maintain your sense of achievement as you tick off the completed actions. Know that you are on track and achieving.

Business and personal growth is the linchpin for great business owners.

This is a common sense, practical way to make sure you know how to do Master Business Plans. Take advantage of FREE online business coaching and masimise your Operational Risk Management Training Opportunity.

More tips for becoming a successful small business owner can be found at my website: http://www.businesscoachingsite.com

Master Business Planning
Elaine Masters
Business Consultant & Coach
Master Your Business
Online Business Education
Operational Risk Management Training
http://www.businesscoachingsite.com