The importance of consistently forward planning

Forward planning is vital to the success of any salon business, says Penny Etheridge, of the Radiant Hair Consultancy. There are two key questions to ask yourself every day you walk into your salon. Where do I want my company to be one year from now?  What do I want to achieve? Smart Business builders consistently challenge themselves on these two issues. Reassessing, reevaluating and establishing reachable and measurable goals in advance. Here are my four tips for making a success of this strategy. Do a yearly Business Plan So many people I know in business use a business plan to gain funds then after that never give it a second thought! Your business plan is a plan! And for that reason needs to be reviewed regularly. Keep looking at the Vision Do a yearly vision plan?  How does it compare with your previous plans?  What areas need to be changed, developed or scrapped completely? Involve all the team in the development and establishment of a company vision for the future. Be bold and think about a two year, then three-year vision plan as well. Don’t be scared to commit to paper the vision you and the team share, anything can and should be changed if it no longer “fits” within the growth of the company. The team need to be heard, understood and respected to ensure 100% commitment towards achieving the vision. Set Specific Goals  Goals need to be mutually acceptable to all to be attainable, however, if the goals set are too general, e.g. ‘Improve retail’, people know the final destination but not the exact route to be taken to get there. The result?  People get lost half way through, give up finding where they are trying to go therefor don’t achieve the goal they were originally trying to achieve. Everyone should know their targets, their skill levels and when and how to discuss current and future performance. The team should also be consistently empowered to take ownership of their own destiny and be aware of how positive outcomes will benefit themselves and the company. Communicating and mutually understanding specific goals with in an agreed time frame will ensure attainment of goals and targets will be more easily achieved. Have a Plan B Even with your best efforts, you won’t reach every goal. Knowing this, allows for some variation in your plans. There should always be an alternative that addresses unexpected challenges or opportunities that are beyond your control.  And Above all don’t beat yourself up on every small mistake you make! Being in business is all a learning curve and everybody makes a slip up from time to time. Be kind to yourself and learn to reward yourself when you do something well!   Penny Etheridge, founder of the Radiant Hair Consultancy, is recognised as a highly qualified and passionate business coach, lecturer and presenter for the hair and beauty industry. With over 30 years in the business, Penny has first-hand experience of owning salons and recognises all the issues a salon owner faces today. She is regional head of London for the Association of Business Mentors and is a member of the institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs. She also sits on the steering committee for the Hair Council. Penny is a certified NLP Practitioner and has been the recipient of countless industry awards for her work over the years.