SOS: Planning in 3 Steps
88% of Small Businesses Have NO Strategic Plan!
Feeling Stuck? Your Not Alone…Unlock Your Business Potential with the SOS Plan
As a small business owner, you know the challenges are real. Sometimes you have a specific, burning problem you need to solve, other times it feels like everything is on fire, and you can't get a handle on what's going on. Or maybe things are going well, and you're looking for ways to leverage success and transform your business for the future.
I get it. Unfortunately, I've been there, too. It can feel frustrating and even lonely. That's why we created The Maverick & The Method Man Podcast, and in Episode 4, we dive deep into a simple yet powerful framework designed to help you tackle these challenges head-on.
I call it The SOS Plan.
Once you've identified your root problem, the SOS framework provides three simple questions to guide your next steps. It stands for:
•Strategy
•Optimization
•Sustainability
Why is this framework so crucial? Because while 88% of large businesses have a strategic plan, a staggering 88% of small businesses have none! And even for those who do, 90% fail to execute it effectively. Strategy often gets a bad rap, seen as something ethereal or just for the boardroom.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Our SOS framework is designed to be simple and actionable....
Here's a glimpse of what we cover:
Strategy: We show you how to define your end goal and understand where you are today, creating a clear roadmap. Think of your strategy like Google Maps – it gives you a route, but you have to be flexible and ready to pivot based on what you encounter on the road. Most importantly, view your strategy as an experiment, not something chiseled in stone.
Optimization: This is where execution takes center stage. Don't get caught in "paralysis by analysis" trying to perfect your strategy before you implement it. We discuss how to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of your strategy by identifying what's working well to maximize it and what's not to minimize or eliminate it. Remember, a pound of execution weighs more than a ton of contemplation.
Sustainability: How do you ensure the improvements you make last and prevent backsliding? We explore how to simplify processes so they become automatic and require minimal ongoing effort. This is critical because most improvements are not sustained without conscious effort. Keeping things simple and connected back to your overall strategy is key.
This approach is designed to reduce the fear factor, treat your plan as a malleable Play-Doh that you can constantly mold, and increase engagement and excitement within your team. With almost 70% of the US workforce disengaged, fostering engagement is more critical – and costly – than ever.
We believe small businesses are the backbone of this country, and we want to help you have the impact you originally set out to achieve.
Ready to get your business moving and solve those problems?
Tune in to Episode 4 of The Maverick & The Method Man Podcast to get the full breakdown of the SOS Plan and start implementing it in your business today!
Listen here on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BwhDOqucOoW40mj2IVR0C
Or, listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, PodBean, and more.
We look forward to helping you on your journey!
BrianYoung (The Maverick)
The Maverick & The Method Man Podcast
P.S. Next, we'll introduce a transformation framework that builds on the SOS plan, helping you make longer-term shifts in how your business operates, leading to even higher engagement and lasting success