This month's newsletter is about Creating a Business Plan, Mission Statement and Vision Statement.

This is the time of year for Business Plans, Mission Statements and Vision Statements to be crystallized and put in writing for 2009.  Those who are organizational "wizards" may have completed these at the end of 2008.  I must admit that I was not one of them.  It was much more fun to take some time off during the holidays visiting with family and friends. Also, I convinced myself that it would take several hours to complete this project because I now have two businesses instead of one.  In addition to my coaching business, I have re-opened my counseling practice.
 
But guess what?  Once I sat down and started to write, things came quickly and fairly effortlessly.  I'd like to share a few tips on streamlining the process so that the end result is concise, clear and useful.   A Vision Statement outlines why you are in business and includes your values and the highest aspirations you have for your business.  A Mission Statement defines the focus of your business. It says who you are and what you do.  Both the Vision and Mission Statements can be a couple of sentences or a short paragraph.
 
A Business Plan outlines Goals and Objectives to make your Mission Statement a reality. Goals must be measurable and the more clearly you define them, the more likely you are to do what needs to be done. Objectives tell you specifically how to accomplish the goals. It is important to remember why you are in business and what you want to achieve. One thing that helped me was to remember that a Business Plan is a work in progress.  Your first plan doesn't have to be perfect.  It will be revised and updated over time. So just get started and you may be surprised and pleased with the end result.

Sincerely,