Take A Moment And Look At The Big Picture

When you’re in the trenches everyday, it’s very easy to lose sight of the big picture.  Bills need to be paid, mats need to be cleaned, carpet needs to be vacuumed and the list goes on and on.

While all of the “chores” do need to be done, as a business owner time needs to be taken to evaluate where you are and where you want to go.  The “big picture” will not take care of itself.

Are you setting time each week to focus on those big picture items.   If not, do set some time at least weekly so that you can set goals, evaluate what you’ve accomplished and where you would like to go.  Each week I like to set some time to do what I call my “mad genius” thinking….all I do is let my mind wander on things I would like to do or I would think would be cool ideas and write them down.  You don’t necessarily have to put them all on your “to-do” list, but it is a great way to come up with new ideas for school operations.  Plus you never know when that “million dollar idea” will pop.

The next time you sit down to brainstorm or to evaluate your school here are some areas you may want to look at closely:

Cash Management:

What cash do you have coming in this month?  What is your budget for marketing and advertising?  How many of your students are ready for renewal and are they ready to commit?

Student Service:

How are your classes?  What can you do to make them even better?  Do you have a set strategy when you have a student who quits or is ready to quit?  Do you have any special events planned?

School Promotions:

What is the plan for promoting yourself?  Are you doing something each week?  Do you know how many walk-ins or phone calls you need on a daily or weekly basis to meet all your objectives?  What about referrals?  What are you doing to get more referrals?

Self-Improvement:

What books are you reading?  What programs are you studying?  Go to the library, order from Nightengale-Conant, or take a course at a community college.  Always be updating your knowledge and skill sets!