You know the different types of people: some go through life winging everything and reacting; others (like me) try and create a plan for everything. Both have merits and drawbacks, but as we begin 2025 I highly encourage entrepreneurs to have a plan in multiple areas.

Plan for the long-term vision of the business

It is good to have a clearly articulated vision for where you want to take the business. A simple guiding statement through which you can make decisions, align and motivate the team, as well as get potential customers excited about your direction. This sets the tone for people to understand who you are and where you are going.

Plan for short-term goals of the business

While the vision is important, there are also many short-term objectives that need to be achieved. This could be some quarterly operational projects to complete, sales metrics to track and hit, customer loyalty, budget, etc. Having a clear plan of goals to achieve in the short-term also keeps the team aligned in their daily activities and allows you to monitor progress towards those goals.

Plan for personal growth and development

I also recommend reflecting on areas of personal development you want to achieve. Create a plan to get more coaching, peer networking, skill training, etc. Given a busy and crazy schedule as an entrepreneur, I find these things have to be thoughtfully planned or they rarely happen as something else will always take priority.


One tool I like for business goals is the Simple Strategic Plan. In one page, this allows you to clearly articulate both short/long term goals and then use the document to align your team. Also remember, inevitably things won’t go as planned so be prepared to adapt. Here’s to achieving your plans in 2025!

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