How To Create An Advisory Firm Business Plan When It’s The Last Thing You Want To Do

Creating your first business plan, whether you’re new to business or an established advisor starts with introspection and continues with your answers to the 24 business development questions below.

I’ve provided you with questions that will get the process going.

If you’re in need of funding, answer these questions BEFORE you sit down with business plan software that will walk you through a much longer but necessary process.

If instead you need a plan to help you run and scale your business, start by answering the questions below.  Then get on the wait list for my next Create Your Business Growth Plan Masterclass wait-list  to learn how to put everything together and monitor what you’ve created.  You’ll be notified of the next dates.

But, if instead you do nothing else than answer these questions, you’ll be more ahead of the game than you have been in the past and are now.  Even if you’re successful, you’ll be that much more successful having considered where you’re headed.

For a list of best business practice systems

1. What are your top 5 lifetime personal goals?

2. What parts of what you’re doing do you enjoy the most?

3. What parts of what you’re doing do you hate doing?

4. What parts of what you’re doing do you enjoy but doing them are not a good use of your time?

5. Who do you have to hire in order to get #3 and #4 above done?

6. Who do you have to hire (personally or professionally) to make sure that #1 happens?

7. What are your strengths?

8. Who are your ideal clients?

9. What do your ideal clients tell you they need the most to succeed?

10. In what ways do you differentiate yourself from your 5 top competitors? (yes, you have competitors)

11. What are your competitors’ strengths?

12. Is your intake process easy on your prospects or clients?

13. How are you going to deliver your product or services?

14. What 5 ways can you reach the most amount of your ideal clients in the least amount of time?

15. What process will you use to accept your clients money?

16. What 3 things might will others hear your ideal clients say so that they know a great referral for you?

17. What is the highest price your ideal clients will pay for what they need?

18. What will you charge for the different services you provide?

19. What is your vision for your business 12 months from now? For your exit?

20. What are the benefits or value your services provide to your clients?

21. What are 8 goals for your business this year (make your goals balanced between profit, clients, training, and process improvement and balanced between the 4 quarters in a year)?

22. Looking at your goals, choose up to 8 strategies to help you reach those goals this year (make your strategies balanced between profit, clients, training, and process improvement)?

23. What are the actions you need to take in the next 3 months to reach some of your goals?

24. How will you exit your business and in how many steps?

(c) 2010, Updated 2020 Elevating Your Business, Transforming Businesses and Their Owners.