Writing A Professional Business Plan

November 30, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Alice In Wonderland

In Carroll Lewis’ fable, Alice In Wonderland, Alice finds herself lost and asks the Cheshire Cat this question, “Can you tell me please which way I should walk?” To which the Cheshire Cat responds, “Well, it depends on where you want to get to.” Thinking upon his comment, Alice states, “I guess it really doesn’t matter much.” “Then,” Cheshire Cat responds, “it doesn’t really matter much…which way you walk.”

Although this little excerpt from Alice In Wonderland is only an illustrated scene from a fable, many business professionals actually lead their professional lives and their businesses with the same approach as Alice – not knowing which way they should walk and no professional business plan to help them get there. To help business leaders and professionals avoid the tragic consequences of wandering in the business marketplace without any real direction, the following Professional Business Planning template will provide excellent guidance in the preparation of a written professional business plan that contains five critical elements for success in business: Purpose, Vision, Core Values, Team Values, and Strategic Objectives.

A.     The 1st Critical Element of Success in Business is Defining the PURPOSE of Your Business

Purpose is the unequivocal reason why your business exists.

Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

To help you reflect upon the God-ordained purpose of your business and define it in written terms, please answer each of the questions below:

1)      What would happen if your business ceased to exist?

2)      Why is it important for your company to continue to exist?

3)      If you had enough money to retire tomorrow, would you still continue working for your business? If so, why?

Considering your answers to the questions above and reflecting on the statements below about purpose, write down the purpose for your business that is worth your very best efforts to bring God glory and benefit others:

  •  Your purpose is your God-ordained reason for existing in the business world
  • Your purpose reflects the God-ordained reason for doing your work
  • Your purpose captures the soul of your values and beliefs in God expressed through your business
  • Your purpose answers the question, “Whom do I exist to serve, with what, and why?”

B.      The 2nd Critical Element of Success in Business is Having a VISION of Your Business Future

Vision is the mental picture of the preferred future for your business.

Habakkuk 2:2 “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.”

Thinking about the preferred future for your business, in each of the 4 areas below describe what you would like your business to be and become in 10 or 20 years?

  • Finances
  • People
  • Operations
  • Service

C.      The 3rd Critical Element of Success in Business is Defining the CORE VALUES of Your Business

Core Values are the uncompromising convictions and beliefs that your business stands for in the community.

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

What are the 3 to 5 convictions you have about your business that you are unwilling to change no matter what as you build your business for the glory of God and the benefit of others?

D.     The 4th Critical Element of Success in Business is Communicating the TEAM VALUES Within Your Business

Team values are the undeniable convictions and beliefs that and you and your team members stand for in your business.

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

What are the 7 to 10 undeniable convictions that you have about your team that you are unwilling to change no matter what as you build your team for the glory of God and the benefit of others? If you have read The Make It Happen Journey, you may be encouraged to build your team with the 9 Make It Happen Team Values defined in the book.

E.      The 5th Critical Element of Success in Business is Developing the STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES of Your Business

Strategic objectives are the compelling ambitions of your business that clearly meet the following criteria:

  • Big Holy Awesome Goals
  • Unifying Points of Teamwork
  • Catalytic Components for Activating Team Spirit
  • Directed Towards Achieving Greatness In God as a Team
  • SMART (Specific, Measureable, Action-Oriented, Results-Oriented, Time-Oriented)

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

What are the 5 to 7 compelling ambitions of your company that will inspire your team members to achieve greatness together and accomplish God’s purpose for your business in the next 2 to 3 years?

Have a blessed ”Make It Happen” day!

Writing A Professional Business Plan Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint Writing A Professional Business Plan, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Related Resources:

1)      Coachwell Article: Strategy Part One – Strategy Formation

2)      Coachwell Article: Strategy Part Two – Strategy Function

3)      Coachwell Article: Strategy Part Three – Strategy Execution

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A Happy Thanksgiving, Really?

November 22, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , Leave a comment

The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, I have contemplated this question: Is Thanksgiving really supposed to be happy? I mean, if we have some unhappy circumstances during the Thanksgiving holiday, does it make Thanksgiving a null and void holiday? I guess it could…if we think we must be “happy” in life to be thankful in life. But what if to the contrary, Thanksgiving is really about giving thanks to God for our life regardless of our happy or unhappy circumstances in life? Is this what a Happy Thanksgiving really all about and is it even possible?

In Everything, Give Thanks

I believe this is exactly what Thanksgiving is all about and I further believe that it is completely possible because the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This means that in everything – every situation, happy or not – you and I can still give thanks to God. Wow! As the magnitude of this thought sets in, I personally understand that this can be a difficult thing to do when we are experiencing some significant trials in life; however, as a follower of Christ, I am assured in Romans 8:28 “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Because God promises me that He will work all things together – the good, the bad, and the ugly circumstances in my life – for my good, I can rejoice in knowing that I am not in any way subject to my circumstances. In fact, I like the way Webster defines circumstance as a subordinate or accessory fact or detail because that definition affirms that my circumstances in life are simply subordinate details in my life.

Circumstances In Life Are Subordinate Details In Life

So you might ask, “subordinate details to what in life?” The truth in Romans 8:28 clearly indicates that our circumstances in life are totally subordinate to the Lord and His greater purpose for our lives. In other words, circumstances change; God and His word never change; therefore, our circumstances in life are subordinate to God and His word, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Our circumstances in life must and will change to line-up with God and His never changing promises for our life when we believe Him and His word. This is the reason we can give thanks in everything – not for everything, but in everything. In Christ, we are not subject to any circumstance in life and that is ample reason to give thanks in everything! Without question, the Lord has the last word in everything and He will be faithful to work all things together for our good and His glory!

Giving Thanks In Everything Is Really A Happy Thanksgiving Everyday

So let us be encouraged today and everyday to really give thanks to God in everything so that we can truly have a Happy Thanksgiving everyday!

A Happy Thanksgiving, Really? Copyright2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, A Happy Thanksgiving, Really?, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

His Blessing

November 16, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , , , , 1 Comment

Scripture

Psalms 128:3 “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.”

Observation

In Psalms 128, the Lord promises blessings to the man who fears Him and more specifically in verse 3, He promises that such a man’s wife will be a life-giving partner in the center of his home and his children will be a sweet smelling aroma around his table.

Application

As a man who fears the Lord, I am forever grateful to Him for blessing me with my wonderful wife who loves me unconditionally and gives herself to me as a faithful life-giving partner.  Additionally, as a man who fears the Lord, I am forever grateful to Him for blessing me with a full quiver of five beautiful children who love me and will always be a sweet-smelling aroma to me in my home like that of a sweet olive tree in full bloom.   

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace! Thank You Lord for blessing me with my beautiful wife and all of my children. May Your peace with nothing missing and nothing broken be upon our home and our relationships as You faithfully watch over us and make Your face to shine upon us in Your grace. I love You Jesus! Amen!

His Blessing Copyright 2011, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, His Blessing, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Writing A Personal Life Plan

November 9, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner , , , , 2 Comments

When I think about life and the many different directions we can all take in a lifetime, I wonder how people would answer this rhetorical question: “If you planned to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from America to Africa, how comfortable would you be boarding a ship without any rudder?” Unfortunately, I don’t think most people realize that they actually do this every day without any second thought by boarding the ship of their personal life without any plan. In fact, a Ford Foundation Research Study has found the following to be true about people and their life goals:

  • Only 10% of the population has specific well-defined goals
  • Only 3% of the population achieved their goals 89% of the time

With those statistics as a modern-day reality, we can easily find ourselves as one of the 90% of people sailing through life on a ship without a rudder; however, there is some great news for us! You and I can easily find our life rudder by writing a personal life plan to help us intentionally live life with passion and purpose.  I personally believe that living life on purpose is a choice and a privilege, so let me encourage you to make the simple choice today to begin the process of living life on purpose by writing a personal life plan.

Life On Purpose Means Living Forward!

To help you easily do this, Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy have written a tremendous life plan book titled, Living Forward, to be published in the Spring of 2016. To learn more about their book, please visit Michael Hyatt’s leadership blog at www.michaelhyatt.com/life-plan. In their life plan book, you will learn step-by-step how to write your own personal life plan and live life on purpose.

Life Is Short So Make It Count!

In Psalms 39:4-5, the psalmist writes, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” For anyone who has any adult children, you can easily understand and appreciate the sentiments of the psalmist. It seems that it only takes the blink of an eye for children to grow into adults and the older you become, the quicker life seems to speed ahead to the finish line. Unfortunately, we are only given one opportunity to make our life count so why not start now and make a commitment to finish strong by intentionally living each day with passion and purpose.

A Good Life Plan Will Help Make Your Life Count!

In Psalms 90:12 the psalmist cries out to God, “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” With that approach to life, I believe the best way you and I can make our lives count is to write a life plan that numbers our days with a heart of wisdom. So don’t waste another minute and get started today with these three easy steps!

Three Easy Steps To Get Started Writing Your Life Plan:

1)      Visit Michael Hyatt’s leadership blog and register to receive updates regarding his new life plan book titled, Living Forward.

2)      Send an e-mail to Gary Borgstede at gborgstede@makeithappenbooks.com and request FREE resources to help you start writing your personal Life Plan.

3)      Schedule personal time to start writing your personal Life Plan with the help of resources provided.

Have a blessed ”Make It Happen” day!

Writing A Personal Life Plan Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint Writing A Personal Life Plan, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Mission Possible

November 2, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

View From The Top

Quote:“I want to be the one who is willing to anticipate God’s possibility in my impossibility!” – Priscilla Schirer

Not long ago, I had the tremendous opportunity to attend a leadership forum at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia with the Executive Pastor of my church.  However, before we left on our trip, Pastor Randy informed me that not only were we going to visit the awesome city of Sydney, but we were also going to possibly have the opportunity to climb the beautiful Sydney Harbor Bridge.  Well, I wasn’t too sure what he was really talking about until we arrived in Sydney and we were looking at the bridge from across the harbor as we ate our lunch on a bench.  Sitting there looking at the bridge, Pastor Randy pointed out groups of people walking on top of the bridge’s arches to the very crest of the bridge, and then I fully realized what he was talking about.  He wanted to do the same thing with me, which was awesome…except for one minor detail…the fear of heights…especially heights involving cat walks 440 ft in the air on top of a bridge.  So I had a choice to make. Was I going to let the fear of heights steal the potential experience of a lifetime or was I going to see such a seemingly impossible challenge for me made possible by facing the fear of heights?  I am glad to say that by the grace of God and the power of His Word in me, I chose to face the fear and overcome it as I took each step of faith on the steel arches of the bridge leading to its very top. And I can honestly say that the view from the top was everything it was promised to be!

Do you know that fear is the greatest weapon the devil will use on us to try and steal our hopes, dreams, and destinies in God?  In fact, when God has called us to do something big in Him and fear rises up to prevent us from taking steps of faith to do what He has asked us to do, we can be assured that such fear is not from God.  2 Timothy 1:7 states, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  The devil knows that fear is the exact opposite of faith and he also knows that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6); therefore, he will do whatever it takes to scare us into a state of disbelief and mission paralysis through deceptive fear tactics.  However, when we understand that FEAR is nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real, we can overcome the devil’s deception by learning how to effectively walk by faith and not by sight just like the apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:7. 

Additionally, Paul states in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”, therefore, our ability to walk by faith in the face of fear is contingent upon our hearing the word of God and believing it.  Simply put, we can trust that the still small voice of God’s truth spoken to us by His Holy Spirit through His Word will overcome fear every time because God’s Word is eternal truth and the devil’s word is nothing more than a deceptive lie.  With a spirit of faith and commitment, let us see God’s mission for our lives made possible by overcoming fear and embracing our destinies in God with an unshakeable faith in the Lord to make the impossible possible in and through us to His glory!

The Make It Happen Risk-Taking Value: “Make It Happen” People Take Risks In The Pursuit of Excellence!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Mission Possible Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Mission Possible, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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