The Secret to a Small Business Reset in 2020
A DIY Self-Retreat for the Ultimate Strategic Plan
Maintaining a healthy business in the era of COVID uncertainty means pausing, prioritizing, and pivoting. Goals have changed, the financial outlook is altered, business is - different. As a small business owner, I believe making space to care for my business strategically is a necessary piece of my professional self-care. What will you do to care for your business health in the final five months of 2020?
Taking a page from my corporate days, I recently created structured time for a meaningful and essential strategy session to map out the last 100 working days this year. Using some of my favorite workshop facilitation tools and techniques, check out my tips below to make the ultimate at home DIY retreat for your business.
Creating Your DIY Self-Retreat
Determine your primary objective(s). This could be to re-align goals, re-assess your audience and their needs, determine how to best re-direct your team, refreshing your product or services. For me, it meant restructuring my time based on updated goals for financial stability between now and December 31.
Practically, I broke down:
My current cash flow by service
Built new benchmarks for 2020 focused on how I want to grow/decrease my energy
Assessed my current time spent against these benchmarks
Defined on how much time would be spent in these areas five days a week
Getting Started:
#1 Creating Your Space
Don’t underestimate the impact your physical space can have on your mood, ability to stay free of distraction, and problem solve.
Tips: Get creative. Move furniture, grab items around your home that bring you a sense of calm or happiness, consider if you want some background music, what type of lighting will help you, where you will sit and how you can feel most comfortable.
(How I did it: I turned our den into a cozy retreat space on a Sunday for a half-day session. I used camping chairs with blankets and pillows to create a comfortable seat that I could write or type at. I brought in some fresh flowers and plants from other parts of the house, I grabbed some crystals and a candle to add some ambiance. I made the most of the natural light by planning the time for mid-morning)
#2 Creating Your Agenda
Outline specific goals and set aside enough time to accomplish them. Determine if this is a one-time or multi-part session.
Tips: Create some structured time blocking around the main problems you want to solve. Be realistic with potential distractions that may come up in your home environment and how you will create boundaries. Build in time for breaks.
(How I did it: I wanted to accomplish my problem solving in one session so I set aside a four-hour time block with built in time for lunch. My agenda was three parts based on my current business needs with a short break after each item was complete).
#3 Fueling Your Success
After you complete each goal or task, assess your next steps and set a follow-up day and time for yourself to keep that piece moving. Make sure you have everything you need to stay focused in your session.
Tips: Consider supplies you may want (paper, pens, computer, references, etc) and don’t forget about literal fuel (beverages and your favorite snacks - a great way to stay motivated).
(How I did it: I do my best creative work when I put my computer away. I had computer paper, coffee table books to serve as my desk and pens/markers to make the work more fun. Once I completed each part of my agenda, I spent 20 minutes recapping takeaways on my computer so I didn’t create more work for myself after my session. I also had plenty of coffee and snack time built in!)
#4 Accountability Post-Session
Maintaining a clear, specific and simple action plan will make it easy to keep going post retreat. Before you end your retreat time, reflect on why you are making this commitment.
Tips: Reflecting on why your commitment is important to you will help you stay accountable when things are busy or overwhelming. Consider writing down your “why” for making this time for your business to start or end your session.
(How I did it: I started my session with a short, two-minute meditation. I asked myself, “what one thing would help me find success between now and the end of 2020?” This became my why. The week after my retreat, I kept myself committed to the tasks in my calendar and gave myself a little grace if I couldn’t get them all accomplished)
Final Thoughts: Pick your date, set aside your tools, get creative, and go for it!
About the author: Karianne Michelle is a Chicago-based brand strategist, entrepreneur, and health advocate. After a 15-year advertising career spent crafting strategies for global companies, Karianne made the leap in 2017 to chart her own path as a creative entrepreneur. Transitioning from high-pressure, high-performance professional to business owner naturally led her to integrating a more mindful approach to health. Her company Lofti, hosts professional branding workshops that integrate meditation and grounding techniques to help attendees achieve their next level of greatness, in either their career or business, without losing their sense of self and purpose in the process. Combining her classical training as a vocalist with methods learned during her 20-year yoga practice, Karianne leverages the elements of movement, breath, and sound to cultivate a deeper connection within—helping individuals discover new, untapped ways to relieve stress.
NEED HELP PLANNING A RETREAT FOR YOUR BUSINESS OR TEAM? EMAIL ME: KARIANNE@GETLOFTI.COM
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