What’s your Point B?
Hey, I’m Michael Eckstein 👋, and this is ‘Ordinary & Necessary’, a weekly newsletter about the boring business topics that don’t get enough traction on the web, but will help you manage and grow your business. You signed up on my website. If you’d like to unsubscribe, just click here. No harm, no foul, I’d love to have you back sometime.
How do you get from Point A to Point B? If you’re going to the store or picking your kid up from practice, you take the same route you always do. You know it by heart. You know which backstreets to take and how to avoid that one traffic light that takes for-ev-er to change.
When you’re going somewhere new, you probably plug your destination into Google Maps, hit Start, and let Google take the wheel. But, Google needs to know two things to get you where you’re going: 1) your Point A (your current location) and 2) your Point B (your destination). Without both points, Google can’t plan a route for you to take. If you randomly drive around without directions, you might get there, you might also get somewhere that’s good enough, or you might get incredibly lost and run out of gas.
The same goes for your business. You need to know your Point A (where you are right now) and your Point B (where you want to be) to make an effective plan. Otherwise, you’re just making random turns and hoping you get there before you run out of gas. And, right now, during this crisis, you’re running on less than a quarter tank of gas. You don’t have time to wing it.
Additionally, your Point B needs to be specific. You’d never plug in just “Philadelphia” as your ending destination in Google Maps. “Philadelphia” would get you close, but it wouldn’t get you to your hotel. Likewise, in your business, you’re not just trying to “make more money.” With enough trial and error, that kind of goal will get you close enough. But, when you’re running out of gas, it won’t get you where you need to be in time.
THIS WEEK’S ACTION ITEM: Write down your Point A (gross revenue, number of clients, number of employees, etc). Next, figure out your Point B. Are you trying to get more clients? Upsell your current clients? Or, launch a new service? Your Point B could be as simple as a goal on a Post-it note or as complex as a fully fleshed out SMART goal. Then, create a plan that gets you from A to B and execute it.
Have a good weekend and stay safe!
Michael Eckstein