This week celebrates Alice in Wonderland Day, commemorating the date that Lewis Carroll first told his beloved story to Alice Liddell.

And it’s one of the best business books I’ve ever read!

There’s the scene where Alice meets the Cheshire Cat.

Their conversation goes like this:

‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’

‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.

‘I don’t much care where…,’ said Alice.

‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.

‘…so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation.

‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’

Most businesses run this way – they are just going.

Some are failing at everything.

Even many of the ones that are making money, or maybe even growing and giving a reasonably good service – are just going. Which means that they are in danger of falling suddenly.  And very hard.

If your business has no visible ‘guiding principle’ or clear ‘targeted destination’ directing it, then every decision you make will be an emotional one, based on the short-sighted information.

And, if you let your business be driven by growth, instead of your business driving the growth, then you’ll always be vulnerable to ‘Growing Broke’.

It seems like an obvious place to start to say you need a plan; and that is because the obvious truths are often the most powerful but neglected ones.

And it’s why our 9 Step Blueprint starts at the Foundation Level. As a business owner in any sector, and regardless of how long you’ve been operating for, you need to:

• Understand what you want, and what you’re prepared to do to get it (your Life Plan)
• Understand your businesses financial positions, and how to deliver your Life Plan (the Numbers)
• Identify the most effective way to deliver the numbers (the Path)

Without this, you’ll simply be walking and walking…

Martin

Martin Norbury

Investor | Business Mentor at Advocate | Author of I don’t work Fridays