Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction – to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.

Strategic Planning Software is designed for implementing, deploying and communicating strategic plans throughout the organization in an automated manner. The object is to bring about improved business results. Common purposes served by Strategic Planning Software include helping in the creation and reporting of an initial corporate scoreboard and delivering personalized information on performance measurements to specific individuals.

An often offered comment to me when I speak about strategic planning to small business owners and managers is that their company or organization is too small for strategic planning. Or they will offer any number of other excuses why they do not use strategic planning for their business. In my opinion, this is a sad commentary on the thinking of these small business people. They do not realize or comprehend that their business or organization is on the pathway to the business graveyard without a strategic plan. Well, I really believe if the truth were told, the real reason they do not do strategic planning is related more to fear than anything else. And so I ask this question: "why are so many of these businesses strategically challenged, strategically averse and/or just plain scared or fearful of strategic planning?" Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach reviewed and reflected upon experiences with this type of small business thinking and offers the following list of ten major fears that drive small businesses away from strategic planning.

Most small business owners are too busy working in their businesses to work on their business. Discover how strategic planning can simplify your life and make the job of running your business more effective and more efficient.