Know Your Environment: Developing your “Strategic Plan” 9 April 2009 Entrepreneur Life Group Bethel Temple Room 102

Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, No overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a litter slumber; a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

Some points The ant works hard regardless. It knows that it needs “provisions”. The ant knows that it needs to plan. How much longer will you continue not to work (plan)? A lazy person (or one who will not plan) reaps poverty and scarcity. Get a plan! Work the plan! You may not get eight hours of sleep every day (v 10) but you will gain.

So how can I: Reduce risk of failure? Separate from the crowd? Draw attention? Achieve higher gains? Get to where God wants me to be?

Strategic Planning What plan do you have to differentiate you from your competition? Who is your competition? What is your industry? What is your NAICS? What is your “Niche”? What innovative idea does your company bring?

What matters does it make? Who cares if I don’t know anything about market structures? Who cares if I don’t know anything about Perfect Competition? Who cares if I don’t have a strategy? Is all of this really necessary?

No. You don’t need to know none of this stuff unless you care to succeed at a higher level.

Example: The Holy Bible Still on the Best Seller’s list. (Best seller in China 12/2007) It’s different from other works. It’s innovative. More and more people are coming to our God b/c of His Word. God is showing himself to be different from what people are used to. Point: If you believe that the Word of God is all of these things, why would you want your business to be just ordinary, in the crowd, same ole same ole?

How can I move up to a higher level and not be just another company?

Strategic Plan

Possible famous and stupid last words. I’m a start-up, I’ll worry about all of this stuff later. That’s too much work to do. Nobody does this. Why does it have to be all of that? This is fine for the big boys, but not me.

Strategic Planning “Too many people think strategic planning is something meant only for big businesses, but it is equally applicable to small businesses. Strategic planning is matching the strengths of your business to available opportunities. To do this effectively, you need to collect, screen, and analyze information about the business environment. You also need to have a clear understanding of your business - its strengths and weaknesses - and develop a clear mission, goals, and objectives. Acquiring this understanding often involves more work than expected. You must realistically assess the business you are convinced you know well.” “In addition, strategic planning has become more important to business managers because technology and competition have made the business environment less stable and less predictable. If you are to survive and prosper, you should take the time to identify the niches in which you are most likely to succeed, and to identify the resource demands that must be met. Learn more about this topic.”

Business Cases White Castle Hamburgers SWA Starbucks Procter & Gamble Marriott Int’l

Strategic Plan <> Business Plan

Strategic Plan vs Business Plan Short Document Frame & ground work Visionary, conceptual & directional Do first Long Detail Document Built from Strategic Plan Short Term, Tactical, & Focused Do Second

Our environment is vast. You can do what ever you want and it won’t effect anything. However, with proper planning you can reduce your risk. How will you compete if you do not know the game nor your opponents'?

Point: If you do not have a Strategic Plan, write one.