Let's Build a Business Plan Live!

Business planning doesn’t have to be boring or a 50‑page document you never look at again. In this episode, Crystal and Kay walk through a simple, practical one‑page business plan that any small business owner can use to get clarity, direction, and momentum.

To make it real, Kay steps into the shoes of “Maddie”, a mobile dog groomer on the Northern Beaches, and together they map out her vision, goals, revenue targets, ideal clients, new services, personal goals, and the critical actions she needs to take to grow her business.

You’ll learn:
• Why a one‑page plan beats a long document
• How to set realistic revenue and client targets
• How to choose your ideal customers
• How to create new income streams
• How to balance business goals with personal goals
• How to identify your “champagne moment”
• And why your plan should be a living, breathing tool not a file gathering dust

shows at the beginning of each episode for 15 seconds

Connect with us:
Crystal Petzer - https://businessgrowthcoach.com.au/
Kay Godfrey - https://upupandaway.net.au/

If this episode hits home, share it with a business owner who needs to hear it.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Alrighty, we're Small Business Lauded with Crystal and Kay. And today we've got a really interesting uh topic, haven't we, Kay? What is it? We certainly do. Business planning. Business planning, the topic that no one really wants to talk about or look at, really, is it? Nope. So we're going to try and make it super interesting so that you can kind of have a business plan. And we'll talk about why it's so important as well. We need to put a bit of energy around this topic. I know it's uh one of those topics that uh many people don't like to talk about, business planning. Or I guess we all know we have to have a business plan for a business, but often people think it's like a 50-page document, don't they? And it doesn't have to be. No. We used to say it sits in a drawer gathering dust, but I think it sits in a file somewhere in our computer and kind of gets lost now. That's true. So I don't know that we always know where exactly it is. But the good news is we're not talking about a 50-page document today. We're actually going to talk about what are the most important things for us to capture. And we've got a great little one-page business plan, which we'll put up on our website so people can download them. And really all we're trying to capture today is by having a plan, you actually just have something that you can refer to on a regular basis just to make sure if you're on track or not. I think that's what a business plan is, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:19

It is. And just to mention that most business owners didn't start their businesses because they love planning. They started their business-a business plan. They started their business because they're good at something.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

And maybe you're a trade, you might be an accountant, a hairdresser, a consultant, a retailer, or a professional service provider. But running a business requires more than just technical skills.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

Yeah. And I think though there's that saying, if you don't plan, right, you don't it's like if you don't plan, if you There's a saying plan to fail if you have a plan, or if you don't have a plan, you plan to fail. Correct. That's it. That's the saying. And I also think I always use the analogy as well, if you're driving a car and you're looking forward and you're looking out of your windscreen, it's like that's the plan, right? But if you don't have a plan, it's like driving a car but looking over your shoulder out the back window.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

And so one of the biggest mistakes that I see is business owners working incredibly hard but not knowing where they're heading, like you say.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

They're looking in the rear view mirror, not the I I guess for an example, you could be, you know, you start your business, you work really hard. When should you have a plan? Should you have a plan before you start, or should you have a plan?

SPEAKER_01 2:37

You should always have a plan. Yeah. From before you start. The problem is when you get busy, you tend to forget that you need still need a plan. Yeah. It sort of goes out of the window or in the in the cupboard or.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

And you don't want like the chats of the world to be writing out your plan that you don't even understand, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:59

No, that'd be a problem. That's true. That's very true. You don't want that. No. You have to actually sit down for a short period of time and and write write it down. And we will, or Crystal, will be going through with you the things that you need to think about in a structured way, which helps in the planning. Because if you sit down on your own without any kind of format or any questions that you should be asking, it's very difficult. But when you have this one-page plan, then you've got to structure and it certainly guides you through the planning process and it makes you think about the things that you need to think about. Okay, well, let's get into what we need to think about.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

So, okay, let's have a think about what are the most important things about having a plan. So one of my favorite ones is that obviously revenue, how much money you're bringing in the door is a good that should be one of the plans that you should have, I guess, is that how much financials, how much money, how much revenue do you want to grow that year, or how much money do you need to make? So it makes you think about your financials, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Yeah, correct. Yes. You've got to have an idea how many each how many clients you want, what type of client you want, and so that you can start to start to do it, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:30

And then the other one is like how much revenue do you need?

SPEAKER_01 4:35

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

So to pay yourself or whatever. So you may start off with you might be doing $100,000, but your needs are probably $300,000. So what is that gap between that $100,000 or you might have a million dollars, but your needs are actually three million? Yeah. So what is that? It's all relative to everybody's business, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 4:53

And the most important question is where do I want my business to be in 12 months' time? I've always found that a very good trigger. Yes. It makes you think, where do I want to be in 12 months' time? Do I want to be where I sti where I am now? Yeah. Do I want to double the business? Do I want to take on staff? What where do I want to be in 12 months? I think that's probably the biggest best question of all. Yes. If you and if everybody can start thinking about that. Yes. And maybe while we're going through this broadcast, if you can start thinking and maybe jotting down a few ideas. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

I love that. The other thing that I guess you've got to ask is how many clients? So you know what your revenue is, and then you divide by your average sale. And then you go, well, how many clients do I need, right? So this is like more like the financial part of the business plan before we get into goals and stuff. But it's like, how many clients do I need to get that revenue? So let's just say you have you are a $100,000 business and you're trying to grow to $200,000 business. How many, and say you were a thousand dollars, you know, average sale, say you you get per mont per uh per year, and then you would have to say, okay, well, I need 200 more clients, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:12

So now you know how many clients you want. Yes. You know how much revenue you you need, and you know where your business you want your business to be in 12 months. So the next question is what needs to happen to achieve those goals? That's right.

SPEAKER_02 6:28

So if you if that's the kind of I guess that could almost be a if we go back to what the plan could look like, one of the questions that I always ask, and this is how maybe you could pretend to be a business, so we can give them an example, and we'll explain why we actually go through. So the first question that I always like to ask for that, and this plan is basically a work in progress plan, too, by the way, just as a thing. What is your company vision? So, exactly like what you talked about, where do you want to be in 12 months' time? That would be your company vision. So, what business are you going to pretend to be today?

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Okay, because I love animals, I am Maddy, the owner of Fresh Poor's Mobile Grooming on the Northern Beaches. Oh, I like it. So I'm I run the business on my own.

SPEAKER_02 7:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:21

And I have a van that's all sorry to say, held together with cable ties and hope. And like so many small businesses, business owners, I'm I have to say I'm really good at what I do, but totally overwhelmed behind the scenes. So I think you can see me running around in my van on the northern beaches from home to home, grooming, grooming, grooming dogs.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Grooming dogs. All right, so Maddie.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

Yes, Crystal.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

So if we're starting out, you're what is the one thing that where do you see your business in 12 months? That's the that's my first question to you.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

I see my business growing a little bit. So where are we now? I don't know because I don't have my figures together at the moment. So I think All right.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Well, let's pretend you do. So let's let's call you $100,000 a year. Okay, so it's Yeah. Yep. You're happy with that? Yep. So where would you like to see your business in 12 months' time?

SPEAKER_01 8:31

$150,000.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

$150,000. Okay, great. So knowing that that is where you want to be, that would be say your company mission is to grow your business to have $150,000. Now, why would you want it to grow that extra $50,000?

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Because I want to go on holidays and enjoy myself. And I don't want to feel stressed about my finances. And I think with that extra revenue, assuming it's all revenue. Yes. Then I would feel much more comfortable. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

So we're saying $150,000. So that your company vision is to grow your business to $150,000. You're staying as a one-man van, so to speak?

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

Okay. So that's your company vision.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Yep. Oh, not my company vision is also to have a much better system. Have better systems in place. I'm not sure if that's my vision or if that's part of one of the other.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

How would you like to word your company vision then?

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Yeah, I think growing to $150,000. Yeah, that's good enough.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

We're with really good systems in place. That's a really good company vision. Yeah. Great. And what is your personal vision? So if we think about what you would like out of your business in the next 12 months, what would your personal vision be?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

I want to feel less stressed. That's my personal vision. You want to feel less stressed? Yes. So how would we measure that? We would measure that by me not working 16 hours a day. Yep. By me having Sundays off. Yes. By me just generally feeling less burnt out. I like it.

SPEAKER_02 10:42

I like it. So that would be something that you would write in then as your personal vision. And then we would probably we'll talk about the how we would I guess track that or monitor that as as we go through the year. If I was to put you in as a next question, B HAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Girl.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

I know you see Big, hairy, audacious goal.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

So what that means is like let's push yourself out and so let's look at your business in three to five years' time. Where would you like to see your mobile grooming business be, Patty?

SPEAKER_01 11:22

I think I'd like to retire.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Okay. So in three in five years' time you'd like to retire. Yep. And so in that three to five years' time, is that you would like the business to keep going the way it's going, or would you like it to get a little bigger?

SPEAKER_01 11:38

I'd like it to get a little bigger and I with the hope that I might be able to either sell it or sell it for a small profit. For what it's worth, yeah. Yeah. I know that's difficult in the current climate, selling businesses. But I think if I could prove that the business is making a good amount of money, then I think that's the key to it could be part of your retirement plan, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Yes. To have that. So you're you're growing something to be able to sell. And maybe that's also part of your company vision. So that you could say, you know, I want to grow to 150,000 with the view to have all my systems in place so I could sell it in the future.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Correct. Yeah. Yeah, I love that. That sounds good. I like that.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Yeah. Yeah. So, Kay, the next question. We're talking about business planning today. And my next question for you is as Maddie, Kay is pretending to be Maddie, a dog grooming, mobile dog grooming business on the northern beaches at the moment. Why, what is your your why? Why are we doing this? I love dogs.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Yes. And cats. But I get fulfilled by what I do. And I don't necessarily do it just for the money. I do it because, yes, it it supports my lifestyle. Yep. But I do it because I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

That's lovely. And that's something we would put in the business plan is the why. So why you're doing it. So when things get a little rough in business, it's really important to have that why. I love animals.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

I just thought of something. Cool. About the sort of the why. The tennis player this morning. She lost the quarter final. Yeah. Sara Kosky. Yes. And she went on to do an interview on the TV, and she just said, Right now, I just want to give up. I just want to stop playing tennis. So she I guess she'd completely lost her why.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

She lost her why.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

She'd lost her why. And I I can see a lot of people do that. I can say it's probably happened. Happened to Maddy, the the dog groomer.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

Well, there'd be times where you might get bitten by a dog or you might have your customers not paid.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Actually, when you do dog grooming, I didn't think about this till I started dog grooming. But you can actually have some accidents happen. Well you could cut the dog's paw, for example. Yes. It could happen. It wouldn't necessarily be yours. Maybe it falls off the table. Well I'd like to. Or it jumps off the table in the wrong way. Well, yeah, exactly. You could lose a dog. Or you could lose could run off. Well think of your problem. Just think of another story. What's the Tasmanian devil? Sorry, we're digressing a bit, but the Tasmanian devil, is he in he got out of the zoo? Oh yeah. You're not in touch with the music. He's got out of his cage in the zoo. Oh, and everybody's looking for him. They can't find him. He's been out missing for about three days. Where is this? It's either Melbourne. I think it's Melbourne. Oh my god, Melbourne's in all sorts of trouble. But so you can see. Things unfortunate things can happen. That can cause you to suddenly question your why. Question, yes, your why. I agree that. I'm sorry to digress so much.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

No, no, but I think that's really good. The other business planning's boring, Crystal. Sorry. We need to add a few things in. So let's move on to priorities, right? So this is part of this goal, which helps bring the questions that I'm going to ask you. Well, help us bring what the goals are that we need for the business. And we already know one of your business goals was to grow your business to $150,000, right? And your second goal would be to get more systems and processes in place so you can sell. So we've got those two. We know that. But what would be the number one improvement that you could make in your business right now?

SPEAKER_01 15:54

It it would be implementing a booking system. Because at the moment I have a lot of things just written in a in a calendar on pieces of paper. And my problem is because I don't have it all in one system, I'm probably running around from Narrabeen to Palm Beach and then back to Manly, maybe Manly, when I should be working things out in a much more structured way. So I save my time and my petrol driving around. Plus that I don't double book by mistake, because as you know, customers would they hate it when something goes out. Yep. The animal might be really dropping further. The most important thing is a structured booking system. Yeah, great.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Now this is a personal question. So there's about eight questions that we're gonna ask Maddie. By the end of the year, how would you like your role in the business to have changed? What would you like?

SPEAKER_01 16:53

What would you like to see? I want to be doing more doggy grooming and less worrying about the admin. As I say, if I get this booking system into place, then it should allow me to be more hands-on and less time in my office. Yes, I like it. I'm hoping.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

And be more organized in the be more organized. You know, you can book people in advance without losing them and stuff like that. That's great. So the target markets for your new markets in the coming years. So we know you want to grow to 150,000. So now we're talking, we're going into your target market, which your target market really is. What who is what client, what, what markets or clients would you like to to reach out to to get more business from? So who will you target? Uh, what new markets do you want to target in order to grow that extra 50,000?

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Definitely new puppy owners. Oh, puppies. Puppies, yes, because it's it's really good to get a dog when they are young. Yes. Because you can train them to and they get used to being groomed, being washed. And so it and also I'm hoping that if I get the dogs as puppies, then I will be able to keep those clients moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

So if I get them young, it's the same I think with kids. If you get them young. Yeah. I love it. So are there any new services or products that you will also offer? I'm therefore going to offer a puppy intro grooming package, especially for the puppies, which will be a gentle low stress first groom for puppies so they get used to the process early. So perfect for turning a new puppy or new puppy owners. You've thought about this, haven't you?

SPEAKER_02 18:46

I have into long-term plans. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's great. So you obviously have had this idea for a little while, and this is what you want to implement this year, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Another one is regular maintenance plans so that people come in book regularly, or maybe I give them a special, a special deal for booking in early, booking in regularly.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

So I think this this part of the business plan's really useful.

SPEAKER_02 19:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

To make you think about how you're going to do how you're going to grow that 50,000. How I can get the extra money.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Because I remember, you remember Kimba, my dog? She passed in December. Yes, I do. She was a chow chow. She was a big, big, fluffy dog, wasn't she? 38 kilos of pure pure fur and flesh. She was a heavy dog. And we used to she used to molt probably twice a year, like really badly, and you'd have tufts of fur everywhere. And I used to really love my groomer. She I probably only got Kimba done three times a year, one for summer, and get it cut really short when December came for the humidity. But yeah, and that I used to, you know, found it incredibly valued. And and I loved my and I'd started using her when Kimba was quite little. And she so Kimber was used to going there, but I also trusted her not to nick her or that sort of stuff. Kimber did noisy joy at the end of her life. She did not enjoy going there because it was all too hard on her legs.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

So going back to sort of applying this to the listeners a little bit, although we're talking about my doggy grooming business and the the what I can implement to get more business, you should also be thinking about these types of things. What can you implement in your business? Now I know Crystal with the hire a hubby business, I'm sure that Jim has or will be implementing similar types of programs. Yes. I'm not sure exactly what, but yeah, like he he would love to get a bit more strata work, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

And also, you know, the market is changing a little bit with real estate, but prep for sales are always a great thing. So he does focus on that. And also he would love to get get a few more that his plan is to actually grow a little bigger, but also just to I guess diverse his thing. So like you're already looking after existing, like older animals and that. And I always say that you know, depending on your type of business, but you really should have three different pillars of revenue coming in. Okay. So not all just puppies, yeah, not all just you know, your cats, not all just dogs, but like you could actually have those those three different pillars of how you get them in. It could be a vet that recommends you, you know? Absolutely. It could be it could be that you've got, you know, pet barn or something like that. You could go down there every Saturday and groom animals outside the front of them or something. I'm just thinking, you know, like you want to have three different revenues. So if one, say puppies, there's no puppies at the moment and there's a drought to say, a puppy drought. Yes. Then what then and you were relying on all that money to come from puppies. So it's good to think about what are your other two or three pillars that you could have in.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

Just sort of something else as a Doggy groomer, I could do I could sell accessories. Yes. Like collars. What else do dogs have? Coats. Yes. For the for the rain. And especially after they've been groomed, they might need a coat just ink. Like if you do it in spring and it gets a bit cool, then they might need a coat. So I could sell those. And I could, but I don't think I'll go into this, sell dog food. Yes. As well. I mean, it's an opportunity. It is an opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

And how handy is that you're already there? You're already in their home. Oh, I've got it right in the band. Let me give it to you. Yep. So that's so that's kind of so the other question around your target markets and everything, just your existing customers, what will you do to improve the value to your or increase your loyalty of your existing customers? What what would you do for that? That's the last question around your customers and existing customers.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

I think they will be impressed if I get my new booking system.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

And I'm hoping with my booking system, they won't actually have to make a phone call. They'll be able to book online. Yes. And I know from speaking as Kay the Bookkeeper, I like I like booking things online. I'd rather book, I book vet appointments online. And I just find it easier. I don't have to get the phone call, maybe get the answering machine, then you'll go through backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. Are you free on this day, this day, that day? I think it will my custom existing customers will be very impressed by having a booking system where they can just put themselves in.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

So it's always good to think about in your plan what are you going to do for your existing customers in regard to your business in the next 12 months as well? Because often we forget about them. So it could even be like a a newsletter as well. Yeah, also. Just to let them know we're selling doggy foods, we're doing puppy classes because you never know, they might even have a new puppy in their house, you know.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

Talking newsletters, I have my cat. Speaking as Kay, the bookkeeper, I have my cat groomed at uh Chatswood Cat Palace. Oh but they send out newsletters.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Oh, do they? Yeah, yeah, they send out. And are they interesting?

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Yeah, I always find them interesting because I love cats. And it's a reminder, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 24:29

Oh, I need a book, you know.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

Yeah, and they do send or they do also send reminders, which is good because you don't always think about it.

SPEAKER_02 24:37

Alrighty. So now we're talking about business planning today, and Kay is uh having a what she's pretending to own a business, a doggy grooming business, mobile, on the northern beaches. Yep. And we've gone through a few questions already. And we're doing the business plan. And we're doing the business plan with her. That's exactly right. So, Kay, the one thing now we're moving on to quality and efficiency sort of question. So, is there one thing or one piece of technology that you could improve the quality or efficiency of your operation? Now, I think you've already mentioned this, so I'm just sort of thinking what what you're thinking.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Yeah, I'm thinking a a booking system so that I can get my days properly scheduled, so I'm not running around all over the place like a mad thing. Yes. Backwards and forwards when I don't have to. Yeah, yeah. So I can I can structure my day according to the bookings.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

You'll also have a CRM then for your for your database, right?

SPEAKER_01 25:36

And I'll be able to send them emails and reminders and yes. There's great ones out there too. And I'm hoping that when my schedule flows, that the the dogs themselves will be calmer because I'm hot I'm calmer. Yes. And the whole day will feel much more, much smoother and more enjoyable. It's true, isn't it? When human beings are calm, the animals tend I know it's like that with my cats. Yeah. If I'm stressed, they're stressed, or if they're stressed, I'm stressed. Probably more that way around.

SPEAKER_02 26:12

But yeah. Is there one thing you can do to reduce the risk in your business in the next year?

SPEAKER_01 26:18

I think it's really I need to become and remain efficient. Okay. I think that's a little more efficient. A little more efficient, yeah. I think I might have to.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

So it's not so much wasted hours in between. Like you can kind of have them booked so that billable hours versus your time is kind of m mixed uh no lost no lost hours.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

What do you call it, Crystal? In the trades business?

SPEAKER_02 26:41

You call it No unbillable hours, isn't it? Yeah, billable hours versus I guess your your uh billable hours versus the time of your staff that's working. Yeah. And basically we want to try and get those to match almost exactly the same. Yeah. And so traveling time, everything needs to be built in, which is you're no different of a trade because you're actually in the game of billable time. Yes. So that's your model of your business, really. Okay. So now we're gonna move on to business goals, right? So we know already from your story of your business you want to grow to $150,000. So that's an extra $50,000. Yep. We know that your other business goal is to implement a booking system with the and some other processes and that and get better and more efficient so that you do have a business to sell in three to five years' time. Right. So that would be your second goal. Your third goal is to bring is to target puppies. Yes. Right? So that's your new service. And you also get to offer new packaging, you know, startup packages for those puppies to get groomed. Yep. And then your fourth one, what would be your fifth one then?

SPEAKER_01 27:48

Uh my fifth one is uh talking about selling something, some accessories.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

And investigating and looking into accessories. So that's all we need, Kay. We need five five business goals for you to work on in the next 12 months that's going to help you increase that revenue, right? And profitability.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

So, and and obviously there's a certain amount of money. Do you know what kind of profit you want to make out of that? Is it like a hundred percent profit? Well, you can't make a hundred percent, but it's but you'd be pretty close because you are Yeah, I don't have too many too many overheads.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Yeah. I do have petrol, and obviously at the moment in the current climate. A phone, a website. Yeah, phone, yeah, website. I would like to keep half of that. I think 70%. Yeah, okay, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 28:38

I agree with you. I think 70%. I think I think 30, 20 to 30% should be your expenses. Now, in order for that to happen, what are some of your personal goals? Because we need to balance that. We can have your business goals, but we also need to have some personal goals. So, what do you think some of those personal goals could be for you?

SPEAKER_01 28:56

So are these real just personal goals?

SPEAKER_02 28:58

Can be anything you like. Because we've got to balance it, right? We know you're gonna be working harder and smarter. Yep. But what can we do to keep you?

SPEAKER_01 29:06

I want another little puppy. Oh, is that why you're running the puppy club? Well grooming all the puppies. I I would have as many dogs as my husband would allow me to have. And that's in the doggy grooming business. Yes. In the real-life bookkeeper business, I would have as many cats as my husband will let me have, and that's three. You probably have twenty. Any more than three is too many. Yeah. And apparently in Queensland, which I didn't know, you can only have three. Oh. Yeah. Uh whether it's count, whatever it's a council.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

Wow, I didn't know. I wonder what New South Wales is.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

It's it's I don't know what the limit is. I don't think there is a limit, to be honest. Yeah. But yes, for personal goal, I love my pets. Yes. They keep me going. So you'll have a new puppy.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

Um I I don't know at the beginning of the show you mentioned something about you wanted holidays to be able to holidays too. So yes, I would love a so well with your personal goal then, how many holidays?

SPEAKER_01 30:05

So let's kind of make it let's let's just say, because I do spend a lot of time working. So let's just say three short holidays. And I mean a few days. Like a five days or something? Yeah. Three, five days. But not not overseas particularly. I'm happy with Australia. Yeah. I don't need to go.

SPEAKER_02 30:25

So that would be your second goal that you would have? Now what would be a third personal goal?

SPEAKER_01 30:30

Third. To be able to retire in five years. Okay, but that's a long term goal.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

So what's so what could you do in the next 12 months? What could I do? I suppose you've got to keep fit and strong if you're gonna be doing it.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

I tend to forget about that, yes. Yeah, you've got to be hoiking dogs up onto the table and down and into the bath and out and stuff. So eating healthy food too. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

You'd have to look and also the biggest risk for your business really is you getting sick. So I guess it's sort of looking after you that way too, isn't it? Yes. So we've got your five business goals. Right. We've got your three personal goals. Is there any other personal goal that you would like?

SPEAKER_01 31:11

No.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Great. So now we're gonna move into what we would call your critical success factors. So for you to make 150,000, how would we be able to track that? What would we, what needs to happen for that to happen?

SPEAKER_01 31:26

I need a bookkeeping system.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

Do you have one?

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Maddie? I do, but I'm not very good at keeping it up to date. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

So one of the critical success factors then is, I suppose, getting to to have an accurate place to record all your but I think your new CRM, your new booking system might have that for you.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Well, I use zero. I'm happy with zero. I just need to spend a little bit of time with it.

SPEAKER_02 31:55

So your critical success factor will be you basically getting a new doggy system. Correct booking system. Booking system. So that that would be absolutely essential, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

And then your other one would be tracking your sales, right? Would so that we know that you're growing to that 50,000 and we know what your profits are in that. What do you reckon your third critical success factor could be?

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Making sure I actually do these things. Can that be a critical success factor?

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Well, yes, absolutely. And I I know you've pointed this out a few times. So your efficiency of your booking system and make it sure that you're more efficient. So instead of going from motorvale to Palm Beach to Manly, maybe you start off at Palm Beach and work your way back, or maybe you start off in Manly and work your way back. But I think that I think we could measure that as well.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

I'm a little bit confused about critical success factors because I'm thinking, could my van, which is held together with ties? Could that hinder my well it could hinder my success. So do I need to put it in as a critical success factor that I actually need to get it repaired? Or even get a new van. Because without that you don't have a business, do you? I'm just not sure the definition of a critical success factor.

SPEAKER_02 33:21

Well, the critical success, it that's that what is sorry, I've got a thing in my throat. It is what you that needs to happen in order for this for your plan to work.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

All right. I think I need Alright, so we've got three things there. Yep, or maintained a little better.

SPEAKER_02 33:40

So we've got those three things. So you've got to get a new booking system, so you've got to put that down and start. So that's critical. Your zero needs to be zero to keep all your profits and everything in there so you could see where you're going.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

And then your third one would be to make sure that your van is is, I guess. Well maintained. Well maintained and ready for the job, right? Yes. Which is really, really important. Yep. So that is kind of then out of those success factors, we would then start to add what actions you need to take. So if we were to look at those three critical success factors, right?

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Oh no.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

What's the first thing you're going to do to for that first one that is getting a new booking system? What would be your first action?

SPEAKER_01 34:25

I need to look around to see what booking systems are available and their price and to test them and see which one suits my business best. Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 34:37

And then your second one was the zero and getting your things in. So what what action can you do?

SPEAKER_01 34:42

I probably need to ask for a little bit of help with my zero.

SPEAKER_02 34:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

So I I know a few people who can give me some advice and help with my bookkeeping. Great. And I just need to spend a little bit of time getting it up to date so that I can measure.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

And learn how to do it yourself too, right? Yes. And then your third one would be that keeping your van work reading. So what would what what do you think your first action needs to be on that?

SPEAKER_01 35:11

Take it down to the mechanic.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Whoops. Okay. Well, that's great.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

Yeah. Yeah, because I don't want it breaking down. Yeah. And at the moment it's it's well overdue for a service.

SPEAKER_02 35:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:26

So I need to take it down to someone who can tell me what needs to be done.

SPEAKER_02 35:31

Just and then you could kind of manage a plan with them to service it and fix things as they go, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:37

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

So those would be so that's your critical success factors. And then we now have your actions as so we've got your goals that you could keep referring to, right? We've got your personal goals, which we know, like so. What would be one action you would take around your holidays? You want three five-day holidays? What actions could you take around that? Book a holiday. Book a holiday, yes, I agree. So that would be perfect. So I reckon you book three holidays, you put it in your calendar when you think you want to go, book them, you know, booking.com or whatever they are, just book it. Sometimes you don't you can cancel last minute if you have to. Yeah. And then that way it's like taking those actions on each of those points, right?

SPEAKER_01 36:15

And just saying with my business, I can actually take time off. Yes. Because I can actually say I'm not going to be grooming any dogs this week. Yes. Plus, there's a slow season, which is the winter season. Yes. Because hair doesn't grow so fast on dogs in the winter time. And actually, in fact, something's coming to my mind that I might be able to offer my clients special deals for winter cuts because I'm not as fully booked in winter, but maybe I can think of something to fill those gaps. But and the other thing is thinking, if I can look at my figures, I may be able to see, and I'm sure I will, that winter I don't make as much money as I do in the summertime. Yes. So maybe what I also need to do is put a bit of that money aside from summertime for my holiday and to tide me over winter time if uh sales or if bookings are low. But I can only see all that once I can look at my figures and see a trend or a pattern. Am I doing your job?

SPEAKER_02 37:31

No, I think you're you're you're doing it great because that's exactly how we want you to think in your business, right? It's making me think. It's making you think it's making me think.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

I really like it. I wish I had I wish I really had a doggy grooming business.

SPEAKER_02 37:46

I think you do really well. Maybe you should think about it. Now to finish this off, the one thing that I well well, yes. So we we got those, so the the main thing to do is you write those actions down, you write those goals down, you write the personal those questions that we ask.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 38:01

You then have those critical success factors. So what are the actions, the two or three actions you've got to take on those? When do you want to take those by? Because it's so important to actually put those action items in. It's all very well to have that goal, but without actions, those goals aren't gonna happen. So one of the things that I always say after this, Kay, we need to talk about the champagne moment. So a champagne moment, what do you think a champagne moment is?

SPEAKER_01 38:30

Well I can open a bottle of champagne.

SPEAKER_02 38:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

To do to open what? Because I've achieved something.

SPEAKER_02 38:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

As a as a reward.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

As a reward for your business. And I think for business owners, we often like we have these goals, we have the things that we do, but we often don't stop when we actually do No, true. When we when we actually have achieved that one goal.

SPEAKER_01 38:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

We don't stop and celebrate and say, we just kind of get all right, what's next? You know. So I feel like it's really good just to take some time out and just to celebrate it and just to go, wow, I actually achieved that. How good am I?

SPEAKER_01 39:07

I don't like champagne.

SPEAKER_02 39:08

Well, whatever you want, a wine moment, a beer moment. A scotch moment, doesn't really.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

That's very true. Yes. I certainly never took well I took time out because I had Crystal telling me to to do my business plan and to take time out when I had achieved some of my goals, but otherwise I wouldn't have. Yeah. Although when I used to work going back to being K as a franchisee, what was nice there was they we got awards for achievements, yes, which was nice. Different, yeah, different way of rewarding you, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

But I guess, and that's what you've got to try and do for yourself and your business, you know. I know Jim and I, whenever we've achieved like at the end of the month, we look at our sales, we go, Whew, that was a good month. I much better than I thought. We'll always go out for dinner and uh celebrate it, you know, and talk about how good a month it was and and good job done, you know. So going back to your champagne moment, so what would be a celebration for you out of those goals that you've talked about for Maddie, the dog grooming business?

SPEAKER_01 40:15

You mean the moment that would trigger it?

SPEAKER_02 40:18

Or the No, what if you what what would yeah, what would the moment the moment that would trigger you to open a bottle of shampoo?

SPEAKER_01 40:25

The moment would trigger it when I have three months of fully booked doggy grooms in my newly new booking system.

SPEAKER_02 40:33

Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

And when I could have my zero up to date so that I can actually see.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

When you look at your first proper PL.

SPEAKER_01 40:40

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 40:41

That those are the two biggest moments, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

And maybe a third one, what could that be? Some very happy customers, to be honest. I a few nice Google re Google reviews. Yes. Google reviews, they're always good. They always they make you feel good, don't they? Google reviews. I like them.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Yeah. And they're so important for your business as well, right? So people often look at those. I mean, we all do, don't we? If I've never bought from a business before, I always go on to the reviews. Yeah. And just double check they're not got like a minus one or something like that. And I'll go, ooh, I better not buy off them. But I feel those are great champagne moments. I feel like Maddie's gonna be on track this year.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Yeah, I think Maddie's gonna be doing really well. And I'm glad that I thought about those yeah, all those things. Yeah. But the also the extra ones that kind of popped. Uh yeah, I did prepare a bit, I I'll admit. But the ones that popped into my mind as I was talking are just as important and they were more like aha moments. Yeah. I think we've had a few aha moments because we've sat and discussed the plan and through the discussion, you seem to see more clearly. Yeah. Would that be so yeah, absolutely worth sitting down and it it is only, well, it's actually two page. Well, it's two sides with one one page business plan. Yeah. And if if anybody wants a copy, we'll be uh we can email us at uh email address, which at this moment I've forgotten. Rmb at Businessgrowthcoach.com.au. Okay, so repeat that. Rmb at businessgrowthcoach.com.au. Yeah. And we we can email you the blank business plan. Yeah. And similarly, if you fill it out and you want any feedback, yeah, we'd love to hear this now.

SPEAKER_02 42:38

Yeah, yeah. And also share some of your um champagne moments, you know. Yeah. If you've achieved something, we'd love to hear that. And we'll actually mention it on the radio as well. So we would love to do that as well. So any last thoughts on what we uh we've done here, Kay?

SPEAKER_01 42:54

Um what's your key takeout today? My key takeout actually was thinking about the additional revenue stream. Yes. The uh selling doggy coats, collars. Man, I reckon there's another. I hadn't I hadn't hadn't that entered my head until today. Yeah, and just going back to Kay. Yes. I just it never ceases to amaze me how good this one page business plan is. Yeah. And I do it every year. But to be honest, I do it when Crystal tells me to do it.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

But even if I didn't tell you, I think you would do it anyway.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

To be honest, yes, because I actually sat down with a piece of paper yesterday and I wrote I had to reiterate my own goals. Yes, because I was beginning to lose the plot, which happens. I think you'll everybody will see you'll have this plan. Yes, and things might change. Yes. For the better or for the worse. Yeah. So you have to pull it back out again and revise it, or maybe just start again. Yeah. Because it's a plan, but a plan is just something.

SPEAKER_02 44:11

And I think it's going to be a working plan too. So so say you with that, if we go back to Maddie the dog groomer, so just say she's that the puppy school just they don't shed as much fur, they that people think they're too cute with all their fur on them and they don't need a bit of a groom or a wash, or they can wash them in the sink. You know what I mean while they grow. Maybe that doesn't work, right? So then you would go back to your business plan and you would look and say, oh, that didn't work. But you know what does work is let's go for the teenage dogs, you know, instead of the so you kind of get them at that front, but you kind of say, well, every six months, bring them in or we'll do it, you know, clip their nails or whatever it is. But that way you could then it would be a work in progress. So you would just bring it back. And if you feel like, you know, when you feel a bit lost in your business and you feel like, oh, what am I doing again? You could come back to that business plan. It's like your bumper bars, so you can bump against them and it it brings you back into the center of the road or the track so that you can keep on track because if you achieve that, I reckon you probably do more than fifty thousand. Yeah. Potentially. I'm just saying, right? So wouldn't that be nice? But thank you all for listening. You've been listening to Kay and Crystal Small Business Sorted, and we've really enjoyed today, and we've loved having you uh listen to our show.