Fail to plan? Then plan to fail!

The above quote has been attributed to Ben Franklin, Winston Churchill and others.

Regardless of who said it, that quote could be a mantra for a small business owner.

The point is: if you aren’t planning, then it’s more likely you’ll fail.  And that applies to your business.

Years ago Tim Berry, the founder of Palo Alto Software, makers of LivePlan business planning software, pointed to a powerful statistic. A survey showed that businesses that had a business plan were twice as likely to grow their businesses or get investment, compared with those that didn’t.  

With planning so important, we decided to focus this month’s issue on planning at all levels in your business.

We cover strategic planning with a piece from Clate Mask, co-founder and CEO of Infusionsoft marketing automation software. If you’ve ever wondered whether strategic planning is necessary, you’ll be convinced of its value after reading Clate’s take.

Next up we explain why you need a “living breathing” business plan -- and what it is. And if your business has hit a wall, check out the advice for how to regroup and revamp your approach from Nellie Akalp, founder of Corpnet.com.

Every successful business should allocate time for tax planning. Read how to maximize deductions to improve profits.

If you are just starting a business, don’t miss our 30-point Startup Checklist of important planning steps not to overlook.  

Finally, don’t forget to plan for personal productivity. Our list of 25 keyboard shortcuts for Windows 10 is sure to save time that could be put to more strategic and critical priorities.

Wishing you much success,

Anita Campbell, CEO and Publisher

PS, check back next month for another Edition of the Magazine. For a copy of our Editorial Calendar, visit http://sbt.me/3qo.

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