HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-10-23, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1991.
Businesses need strategic planning, speaker says
BY SHELLEY MCPHEE
HAIST
STRATEGIC PLANNING - "The
process by which the guiding mem
bers of an organization envision its
future and develop the necessary
procedures and operations to
achieve that end." — John Geddes,
Dynamic Planners Inc.
A football coach uses a game
plan. A teacher uses a lesson plan,
a director uses a script. In games, in
education, in entertainment, in
business - a plan is an essential
tool for success and survival.
John Geddes, president of
Dynamic Planners Inc., London
was at The Red Maple Inn, Vanas-
tra, on October 17 to address more
than 70 Huron County business
people on the necessity of strategi
cal business planning.
The workshop was the second in
a series of 10 being sponsored by
the Federal Business Development
Bank's - Community Business Ini
tiative program for Huron County.
“Strategic planning,” Mr. Geddes
said, “is not crystal ball gazing. It's
where we are going and how do we
get there.”
He told his audience that plans
generally fall into three categories
- five per cent of business people
who have a written business plan;
the greater number who have a
business plan in their heads, and
the “four o'clock in the morning
planners.”
For the business owner, a strate
gic plan works like a blueprint. It
works to define and guide, to focus
and plan for business. It is applica
ble to all businesses, large and
small, and specifically examines
product, marketing, competition,
management, goals and future
development.
Using a simple step-by-step pro
cess, all business owners can devel
op their own strategic plans. Mr.
Geddes suggested that the first step
is in analyzing the business, its
strengths, weaknesses, opportuni
ties and threats. It's putting your
business under the microscope and
taking an objective look at the
operation, he noted.
Such an analysis looks at the
product, customer perception of the
business, internal organization ;and
management, financing, research
and development. The process is
certain to reveal problem areas, and
records of achievement as well. Mr.
Geddes stressed that business own
ers must carry out this exercise if
they are to maintain a successful,
operation in the 1990s, and the
future.
“Don't ignore your problems.
Don't bury yourself in your work
when the bank is calling, the sup
plier's calling,” he warned.
Many banks are requesting writ
ten strategic plans from businesses
before they approve loans. These
strategic plans assist the banks in
guaranteeing their loans.
“You shouldn't grow or change
your business without a blueprint.
Your strategic plan is your
blueprint for business,” Mr. Geddes
urged.
Once a business has gone
through the analysis process, it is
ready to set a mission statement - a
brief, written description of what
the business does, how it operates
and who it serves. This written
mandate helps businesses make a
positive statement about who they
are and what they are accomplish
ing. It also advertises business
strengths and helps determine
• future goals.
Mr. Geddes suggested that a mis
sion statement should be no more
than 100 words long. It may take
five or six drafts to finalize, and in
the final analysis, he noted, “It's
got to feel good. It's got to sit right.
It's not something you want to
change every six months.”
A well defined plan works to
help the business owner develop
specific strategies. The owner can
now readily identify products and
services, determine areas of
growth, areas where service can be
maintained, methodically thinned
out, or cut.
The popular A & W fast food
chain has gone through this proce
dure in recent years. The large,
drive-in restaurants have been
slowly phased out over the past two
decades after A & W determined it
could reap larger revenues from
land sales. A & W then re-defined
its product and service, and has re
established its fast food outlet busi
ness in malls and food courts, and
sells root beer on a large scale to
grocery and convenience store mar
kets.
Planning, focusing, analyzing,
changing - it's all part of the strate
gic game plan, and successful busi
ness management.
The business owner must look at
specific aspects of planning in the
effort to compete and succeed. Can
he offer the lowest prices in town?
Does quality servicing, warranties
or product make his business
unique? Can he focus on one prod
uct, or one market, successfully?
“You pick your niche and you go
Continued on page 23
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