What entrepreneurs can learn from wedding planning

The dreaming, creativity, organisation and attention to detail that goes into planning a wedding can hold much inspiration for entrepreneurs who want to start their own business. Most engaged couples give themselves at least a few months to plan out every little detail of their wedding day. A lot of work for a single day of their lives. In contrast, many business owners don’t put nearly as much thought into their business planning.

Entrepreneurs want their businesses to last for many years. And this is where the importance of good planning comes in. Here are five things entrepreneurs can learn from wedding planning:

Know where you’re going
Know what the desired goal is, and be clear on as many of the details as possible. Spend time thinking about what you want from your business within a particular timeframe. Your goals dictate your strategy.

Put things on paper
Often, putting planning on paper makes it easier to remember, stick to and implement it. And the satisfaction of being able to tick something off of your to-do list can be an added bonus. When you write down what needs to be done, also make a note of when it needs to be done. This ensures things don’t slip through the cracks and helps with prioritization.

Divide the goal into manageable pieces
Brides-to-be generally have a list of things they need to tackle: a venue, the flowers, the dress, etc. Business owners need to think along the same lines – once you know what your business goals are, break them down into what needs to be done. Have a one-year plan, a three-year plan and a five-year plan. Know what you need to have done by certain points to achieve the end goal.

Measure regularly
Keep the plan front of mind, and don’t lose it in the midst of the day-to-day running of the business. It can be helpful to set aside regular time to plan.

Work with others
Many brides rely on their mothers, bridesmaids and fiancées to carry out parts of the plan. Business owners need to learn to delegate certain parts of their plan.

For business owners and entrepreneurs, failing to plan is planning to fail. Putting as much time and effort into planning for a business as for a wedding will set them up much better for success.

Harry Welby-Cooke, Country Partner and Executive Coach

impact.actioncoach.com | impact@actioncoach.com