Before we get to this week’s blog post about planning for growth, I want to remind you of another important thing to plan for, and that is voting. Voting is more than a right we all hold as citizens, it is a civic duty, and a sacred responsibility.

Soon, we will all have the opportunity to cast our ballot for the office of the president of the United States, as well as other state and local elected positions that have real impacts on our lives, individually, within our communities, and nationally.

I don’t remind you of your responsibility to vote to sway you in favor of one candidate or another – that is your personal choice – but rather that the freedom to vote and take part in selecting our civic leaders is one that we cannot take for granted. Our forefathers and mothers fought and in some cases died so that we may exercise our right to vote.

So now is the time to make a plan to vote. Take a second to visit Vote.org, a nonpartisan organization, to make sure you are registered to vote. The deadline is fast approaching in many states. (In Georgia, it’s October 5th.) Then decide when and how you will cast your ballot, whether in person on election day, early, or by mail. Put it on your calendar and check with friends and family to make sure they do the same.

Now let’s move on and talk about planning for growth.

“Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.” –John C. Maxwell.

How can you plan for and achieve growth, especially in a time when there is uncertainty?

Now is the time to plan for growth, believe it or not. The difference between the companies that survive and thrive these challenging economic times and those that do not is in large part their ability to plan strategically and smartly.

The best way to plan for growth is to challenge yourself with some specific questions and honestly answer those questions. To make this more manageable, pick just one topic for growing your business, like how to increase sales, and ask yourself the following questions:

Where is my business now in terms of sales results? (This is your current state.)

• What are my strengths and weaknesses in terms of understanding and improving sales for my business?
• What is common feedback, both positive and negative, that I receive from others regarding my sales performance?
• What other indicators can provide me with data to define the current state of sales performance for my business?

Where would I like my business to be in terms of sales? (This is your desired state.)

• What gross and net amounts do I want to achieve in terms of sales?
• What expansion plans have I always wanted to implement to grow my business?
• What are my short and long term goals to make this happen?  (We will talk more about how to set goals in next week’s blog post, so stay tuned if you are not sure what goals to set.)

How do I get there? What is needed?

• What more must I learn to meet my sales goals, and what resources are needed?
• Who will help me meet these goals? Who will hold me accountable?
• When do I need to meet these sales objectives, and how will I plan for working toward them in my daily, weekly, and monthly schedule?

When we have opportunities to grow, the questions we must ask ourselves can be daunting. I’ve challenged my Celeste Giordano Coaching clients with questions like these, and together, we set both personal and business goals that they meet year in and year out, regardless of uncertainty.

If you’d like to get access to the strategies that allow you to grow your business, all while creating a lifestyle that allows you to spend time doing the things you love with the people you love most, contact me today.

Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I work with each client to implement the strategies they’ve been missing that will enable them to break through barriers preventing them from the success they know they are capable of. Contact me today to find your future clients who just don’t know what they’re missing.