How Will You Achieve Your Goals in 2022?

By John Binkley

02/07/2022

For many people, the start of a new year is a chance to make a promise to oneself to do something positive to improve their life for the coming year. Resolutions come in all forms:

• The physical… joining a gym, starting a diet or traveling more
• The emotional… taking up meditation or beginning a self-care regime
• The professional… training for a new career or working towards that promotion
• The entrepreneurial… taking your company to the next level or executing your exit plan

Unfortunately, by February, most of us have broken the resolutions we made. Treadmills are back in the garage. There is not enough time or money to take that dream trip, or perhaps, business plans are set aside again because of the hustle and bustle of day-to-day management.

It’s an annual routine many of us are familiar with. However, this year, I urge you to not lose sight of one resolution you may have set yourself – achieving consistent growth in your company.

The power of intentional growth

There are numerous business owners whose main objective is to maximize the value of their business and their long-term goal is to exit for an optimal value. Those who are looking for continuous growth are often unsure how to sustain it. Early in their company’s life, there may be a consistent period of growth. Over time, a gradual slow down occurs, and perhaps growth even stagnated.

Even though businesses are capable of growing without a plan in place, the growth will be temporary. With no roadmap guiding your company’s course, much of the growth it experiences is just a luck of the draw. Rather than riding the wave of the growth cycle – plan ahead. Establishing a meaningful and intentional plan will help you ensure growth is sustained in the long term.

As Lewis Carroll (of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland fame) said…

Alice: “Where should I go?” The Cheshire Cat: “That depends on where you want to end up.”

The need for coherent growth plans

To avoid wandering aimlessly, have a strategic plan in place – one that is built around your ambitions and the current state of your organization.

Our Generational Consulting Group (GCG) team exists to mentor entrepreneurs so they may achieve their revenue and profitability goals. Even the most knowledgeable business owner can run into challenges that prevent them from reaching the next level.

With the right expertise by your side, you can rest assured that the resolution you made back in January to increase profits and tighten up on expenses isn’t broken before the end of the month. You can look forward to a successful and fulfilling year with every milestone mapped out.

Our team at GCG accomplishes this by focusing on two areas:

Strategic growth plans

These are 3-to-5-year strategies focused on long-term ongoing improvements.

Our strategic growth planning sessions include:

• Company-wide analysis, including financials, culture, competitive advantages, SWOT, strategic identity, mega-trends and performance metrics
• Assessment of company leadership and how it can be improved
• Discussions with company stakeholders that secure buy-in, consolidates ROIs, and builds team unity

These sessions help define a long-term vision for growth, as well as inform potential buyers that there is a definitive plan in place for your company’s future.

Tactical acceleration plans

These are more concise, 3-to-12-month plans that focus on short-term improvements. Best suited for underperforming companies that need immediate guidance, a tactical acceleration plan identifies techniques that boost short-term profitability, cash flow, and performance.

Like strategic growth planning, this approach assesses your company’s key metrics and leadership skills, with a more acute scope. Tactical acceleration is designed to propel performance immediately which gives your company a stronger foundation for planning a long-term future.

Business owners on the journey to growth

Depending on your company’s position and your goals, a Generational Growth Consultant will help you determine which plan is best for you. I encourage you to use the beginning of the new year to fully examine, analyze, and consider where your business is today and where you want it to be in the coming years.

To better understand the power and motivation that an intentional growth plan can give your company’s future, consider the following stories of the business owners that have collaborated with Generational Consulting Group:

Anthology Lighting

After hitting a plateau in their company’s growth, Michelle & Jeff Ber developed a comprehensive strategic plan that centered on the nature of their business and areas that could be refined. Once the plan was in place, both owners have the utmost confidence this structure will make a positive impact on their company’s future.

The Davinci Group

Rocky Vinciguerra knew his company had a quality product, but was finding it hard to translate it into growth. Following an extensive planning session, Rocky and his team now have a united gameplan and direction on what steps need to be taken to reach their objectives.

Greens Groomer

Spending several days working in tandem with GCG’s associates, Shawn Heinen came away with an actionable & comprehensive plan that will enable his business to grow 50% in the next three years. In addition, the exercises Greens Groomer utilized, helped bring the entire team closer together.

Cardinal Strategies

Kim Anderson had a bright vision of her company’s future; however, she lacked a strategy as to how her team would turn her vision into reality. Following her sessions with GCG’s strategists, she had a fully fleshed-out plan on how to double revenue and triple enterprise value in the coming years.

MHT Access Services

By the end of the second day of his sessions with GCG, Howard Wall was convinced the knowledge and advice his team had gained from our experts would make a big difference to his company’s future. Every MHT Access Services manager had a voice at the table and contributed to the development of their new unified strategic growth plan.

Make profitable growth a priority for your company in 2022

I hope you can stick to the resolutions you made. Even if some resolutions aren’t successful this year, do your best to keep one of them – having a strategic growth plan for your company.

Where is your horizon? What is limiting your company’s growth? Where do you want your company to be at the end of 2022 and beyond? With a well-thought-out plan in place, you can answer these questions with certainty. And by this time next year, you will be amazed at how far you and your company have come.

Remember, the key to consistent growth is planning for it in advance. Don’t just wait and see if it comes to you and your company. Take action. Make it happen. Be INTENTIONAL!

If you are aspiring to grow, but have questions on how to create a plan, reach out to our skilled strategists at Generational Consulting Group. Whether you have short or long-term goals, we work closely with our clients to understand their unique ambitions so we may build a successful roadmap to help them achieve their goals.

To discover more information, attend a Generational Executive Conference, where our experienced M&A professionals help you understand growth and exit strategies that will maximize the value of your company. It’s more than an investment in your business – it’s an investment in yourself.

I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a prosperous and fulfilling 2022!