OUR SERVICES

STRATEGY PLANNING SESSION

A structured process to define your clear path forward.

This is the session you have when you want to get things going. It’s perfect for when you can’t decide what to do next because you either have too many options or too few and need more. It’s how you kick start a project, develop ideas for a new initiative or find the solutions to problems that you can’t get a handle on. It’s the catalyst for what’s next.

A Strategy Planning Session is a collaborative working meeting designed to help you, as a business owner, define or refine the direction for your business. My role is to guide you through a structured process to clarify your vision, identify your unique market position, and develop a practical, actionable plan for the future. The session can be a one-off meeting or a short series of meetings, depending on what you need. By the end of the process, you will have a clear set of goals and a collection of strategies so that you’re ready to get stuck into so that you can achieve your objectives - this will be your Strategic Action Plan (SAP).

Why do you need a Strategic Action Plan?

Saying that you need a ‘roadmap’ for your business is probably a bit cliché but honestly, you do. Without it, you will almost certainly miss opportunities and waste your time and money on things that weren’t needed or even useful.

If you were going to go on a holiday roadtrip, there’s no way you would leave without thinking through what you’re going to need to pack, whether your vehicle needs servicing and when you need to be back home. You would probably plan your first few nights at least and have goals for the bigger things that you want to see along the way. You would also work out your budget to make sure that you have enough money to do everything you want to do. This is your Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for your trip, and you should also have one for your business.

  • SAP = Strategic Action Plan

A Strategic Action Plan provides the clarity and focus that you need to guide your business decisions and ensure that your resources are allocated effectively. This is essential whether you are planning for a specific period such as the next 3 to 6 months, or if you’re working on a new project or introducing an innovation.

Without a well-defined strategy, it's easy to get sidetracked by urgent tasks and lose sight of your long-term objectives, it’s likely that you will waste time heading off on the wrong tangents and lose money on things that weren’t needed. A SAP is the roadmap that will keep you on the most effective and efficient path toward sustainable growth and success.

Key Benefits of Strategic Planning

As your consultant, I will guide you through the strategic planning process to create your SAP, ensuring every decision aligns with your business goals. This focused approach provides tangible benefits that directly impact your bottom line, helping you maximise resources and accelerate your path to completion.

  • Save Money by Preventing Costly Mistakes: By thoroughly thinking through your plan, you can anticipate potential problems and avoid costly detours. A clear strategy reduces the likelihood of investing in projects, initiatives or marketing campaigns that don't align with your core objectives.

  • Prioritise your Goals: When you have several projects that you want to achieve but limited time and resources, analysing them early, during a strategic planning session, allows you to prioritise which will give the highest return on investment and the biggest impact early.

  • Achieve Goals Faster: A structured action plan breaks down your large goals into smaller, manageable steps. This clarity and focus accelerate progress, helping you reach your milestones more efficiently.

  • Optimise Resource Allocation: Strategic planning helps you identify how to best use your current resources, including your team's time and your budget. This ensures you're not overextending your resources and that your workflow is balanced and sustainable.

  • Create a Competitive Edge: By pinpointing your unique selling proposition (USP) and understanding your position in the market, you can develop a point of difference that sets you apart from competitors.

  • Increase Team Alignment and Motivation: A shared strategic plan ensures that everyone in your business is working toward the same goals. This collective understanding and purpose can significantly boost team morale and productivity.

What You Will Have at the End?

By the end of our Strategic Planning Session, you will leave with more than just ideas. You will have:

  • Defined Goals: Clear, specific, and measurable goals for your next project, initiative or stage of business.

  • Identified Points of Difference: A solid understanding of what makes your business unique and valuable to your customers.

  • A Strategic Action Plan: A practical, step-by-step plan that outlines who will do what and by when. It will be a collection of strategies to achieve your goals, with priority given to the ones that provide the best ROI.

  • Enhanced Confidence: The confidence that comes from knowing you have a clear direction and a solid plan to guide your next steps.

Every minute spent in strategic planning saves many in execution. Just like painting, it’s the preparation that makes the final outcome easy and successful.

What is involved in a Strategic Planning Session?

Prior to deciding if I’m the right person for you, we will:

  • Have a 15 minute discovery call. There is no obligation for you to proceed.

  • You will tell me what it is that you’re wanting to achieve with a SAP. You might have a specific project in mind such as a logistical change to the store, a re-brand or a new direction in your product range. Or, it could be KPI’s that you’re wanting to improve such as needing to increase the customer foot traffic or the average spend.

  • I will tell you about my skills, knowledge and experience and you can ask me the questions that help you make a decision as to whether to proceed.

  • We discuss whether the Strategic Action Plan can be achieved in one meeting or whether an extra one or two might be needed.

  • If you would like to proceed, we agree on the scope of work and I provide a quote. If that suits you then we both sign, you pay the deposit and we get started!

Before our First Meeting:

  • I hate to say it but I will be giving you homework! It won’t take you long but I’m going to ask you to answer some questions, and they will be tailored to what it is that you’re wanting to achieve. It will be hugely beneficial if I can come to our meeting with a better understanding of where your business is now in relation to your goals, any relevant data, and the time and resources that you have available. I hope to have these back from you about three days prior to our Strategy Planning Meeting.

Our Meetings:

  • This is where we get stuck in. We will always start with recapping where your business is now compared to where you want it to be and this will shape the writing of succinct, measurable objectives - the end goal. Remember the roadmap? How can you travel from point A to point B if you don’t know where point B is?

  • We'll work together to generate a range of strategies to achieve your objectives. We'll then discuss the value of each one and prioritise those that will give you the best results. Your input is essential, as you know your business and its capacity better than anyone. This ensures the final Strategic Action Plan is both practical and effective.

  • As we work through the process, we'll fill out The Retail Toolkit customisable Strategic Action Plan template. This will serve as your clear roadmap to implementing the strategies we've developed together.

After our Meeting:

  • Even after our Strategic Planning Session ends, I will be available for you to email should you need a little bit more input or advice. I'm here to support you as you put your new plan into action.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Don’t you hate it when people say, ‘That depends’? But, that depends.

    It will likely start at around two hours but depending on your needs and how much input you need from me, it could be two or three meetings.

    Let’s have a chat to see what your goals are and we can create a scope of work from there.

  • Absolutely! Prior to beginning, we will both sign a confidentiality document.

    By signing this document, I agree to keep all discussions, data, initiatives and results confidential and will not share with any other party unless you give me permission or request it.

    At the same time, you will agree to not share any of the documents, templates or specific stategies that I give you with other third parties outside your company or business advisors. I’m sure you will understand that what I provide is the intellectual property of The Retail Toolkit and we like to keep that for those that we work with, such as yourself.

    Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

  • This will be outlined in the scope of work however, in general:

    • A 20% deposit is paid at the time when you sign the Service Agreement and agreed to the scope of work.

    • The remaining amount is paid in equal installments throughout our time working together.

    • Please see our Terms & Conditions for more information.

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