Step by step guide to craft the annual plan for your Creative Business.
¡Hola amigos!
Today, we tackle the enemy: organization and planning. I know, I know, we're creative souls, and what we love is to create, listen to the muse, and unleash our artistic side. But even as creatives, we have goals, and as they say, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
So, here we go. Let me share how I define and organize my projects and tasks to accomplish my annual goals.
First things first, block your agenda. I invite you to block out time in your schedule to dedicate to the annual plan. For me, two weeks in December and July are religiously reserved on my calendar under the labels "Annual Plan" and "Annual Plan Review." During these weeks, I turn my creative business upside down, reviewing and scheduling what's coming next.
In December, I plan out the entire year with goals, projects, and tasks. In July, I review how things are going and make the necessary "realistic" adjustments.
I don't know about you, but I tend to be quite optimistic and enthusiastic when setting objectives. Let's not forget to be a bit realistic when working on our plan. And if we get carried away, that's okay too; that's what the July review is for. It's our chance to make adjustments and keep moving forward.
¡Pues eso! Now grab your calendar and block out those weeks in December and July (or whichever months work best for getting your creative business in order).
Once we know when we're going to work on our annual plan, here you have the steps to follow:
1. REVIEW AND CELEBRATE What things have you achieved already?
We always start by reviewing and celebrating what we've already achieved. If it's December, we'll look back at the entire year; if it's July, then just the first 6 months.
Celebrating and applauding ourselves is incredibly important. Every step is an achievement, and our work and effort deserve recognition.
Also, if there's a goal that hasn't been achieved, ask yourself, why is that? Maybe the goal isn't as important anymore, or if it is, but we couldn't make it, simply reschedule it for the next month/year, y listo!
2. (RE)DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS VISION What do you do? How do you do it? Why do you do it?
Review the vision of your creative business and keep it in mind. Vale, pero, Rocío, what is the vision?
Well, to define it, you just have to answer the questions: What do you do? How do you do it? And why do you do it? The vision will help us be consistent and choose goals aligned with our brand perspective.
Don't rush to answer those questions if you're just starting with your creative business. Take your time, and month by month, the answers will become clearer. Oye! And if you're looking for external help to find clarity, remember, I can assist you with my Mentoring Program.
3. (RE)DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL What is the current state of your creative business?
We continue reviewing the current state of your business. How are the finances? How are the services and products? How is the marketing going? This will allow us to draw conclusions and again provide clues for setting goals.
A very quick way to take a snapshot of your creative business is by using a Business Model Canvas template. You can find plenty online or create your own.
4. SET GOALS What are your long-term dreams?
Goals are part of long-term planning; they are the annual big dreams, the aspirations. It's the time to write a letter to los Reyes Magos or Santa Claus and wish. After the dreaming we'll start breaking down those goals.
In the previous points, I've already mentioned the importance of aligning goals with the Vision and the needs of the business model. Don’t forget this!
An example of goal could be: Consolidate your project, expand your markets, create a team, etc
5. SET PROJECTS What are your mid-term objectives?
Projects are part of mid-term planning; they represent the monthly objectives. Each project will help us move closer to our goals. Each goal will be broken down into different projects.
The goals are aspirations but the projects has to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You can use the SMART CRITERIA to define them.
S - Specific: The goal must be clear and specific, describing exactly what you want to achieve. It should answer questions like What?, Who?, Where?, When?, Why?.
M - Measurable: The goal must be quantifiable so progress can be measured and determined if it has been achieved. It should include specific indicators that evaluate the degree of completion.
A - Achievable: The goal must be realistic and possible to attain with the available resources and time. It should be challenging yet realistic.
R - Relevant: The goal must align with the overall objectives of the organization or project. It should be important and relevant to the context in which it exists.
T - Time-bound: The goal must have a clearly defined deadline. Establishing a timeframe helps create a sense of urgency and maintain focus on achieving the objective.
Personally, I like to set a limit of 1 project per month. That way, I can stay more focused. Don't think it's the only thing you'll be doing in the month—this project coexists with all the other aspects of running a business: administrative tasks, social media, client relationships, projects with clients, unexpected events, finances, etc.
An example of project could be: A website update, create a podcast, launch a print collection etc
6. SET TASKS What small steps would bring you closer to your goals?
Tasks are part of your daily business; they will bring you closer to achieving your projects and goals step by step. These tasks are manageable within a day or a few hours.
I recommend that you break down each project into smaller tasks in a notebook, Excel, or your preferred format. Outline all the steps you need to complete to finish the project.
Often, when we look at the overall project or goal, it can feel overwhelming. By breaking them down into smaller tasks, we can digest them much more easily. Plus, there's something incredibly satisfying about checking items off our to-do list. It motivates us and keeps us moving forward.
An example of task could be: Platform research for your website, decide a frequency for your podcast, make a color test of your print collection etc
6. SCHEDULE TASKS Where will you put your focus each day?
Finally, let's schedule a calendar for the year. It's essential to write down the tasks; otherwise, we might forget what needs to be done each day and lose focus.
I use Google Calendar where I note project deadlines as "events" and daily tasks as "tasks." This way, I have a comprehensive overview of the work to be done and the top priority tasks for each month.
Pero espera! don't go filling up your days with tasks as if there's no tomorrow. If we follow an order, you'll see how much easier it becomes.
Start by defining your vacations for the year. Christmas, summer, holidays… don't forget your birthday! On those days, or even that whole week, you might want to have time for yourself, so mark it down from the beginning.
Now, tackle the project's deadlines. We said one project per month, right? Alright, line them up. Do you have more than 12 projects in a year? Well, here's where we need to ask ourselves, are we being realistic? Will we have enough time? I'll let you answer that for yourself and rearrange them if necessary.
Finally, put all the tasks for each of the projects into reverse planning.
In an ideal world, these tasks are the first things I do in a day, and then I focus on everything else: the emergencies, projects with clients, what's been delayed, unexpected events. But, I must warn you, I don't always manage it, although the intention is what matters.
Y hasta aquí, How to define goals and create an annual plan for your creative business.
What do you think? It's not that complicated, is it? Review your vision and the Business Canvas, define your goals accordingly, translate those goals into something more tangible, such as projects, and those projects into small and manageable tasks day by day.
I'm writing this post in November; it's the perfect time to tackle the plan. I invite you to take the opportunity before the end of the year to do this review and turn your creative business upside down.
Ya sabéis amigos, "A goal without a plan is just a wish” so…
DREAM IT
PLAN IT
DO IT
And if the planning feels hard to swallow, just give me a call.
Here, you can book a free 15-minute session to have all your questions about my Mentoring Program answered.
Thanks for reading and have a joyful day amigo!
If you're looking for a year-round business buddy to go through your project together from top to bottom, I highly recommend going for the full pack. We'll catch up once a month and fine-tune your action plan based on the results.
Sometimes, your goals may not be so clear, and you're unsure which path to take. With five sessions, I'll be able to dive into your project, help you set goals and come up with an action plan that we can work on together.
At other times, you know exactly what you want and what needs to be done, but for some reason, you just need that extra boost of confidence to put your plan into action. That's when a fresh outside perspective can keep you going strong.
