You already know that running a business can be a challenge. It takes a lot of work to keep all of your plates spinning – balancing customers, employees, operations and cash flow against your long-term goals for growth. To help keep things moving forward in a positive direction, we offer you this special 2018 Business Planning Guide. Whether you use it as a reminder, a to-do list or plan of attack in preparation for the year ahead, we hope the information will further your success.

Facilities and Equipment

ο Be sure you’re using your space to its full potential. Look at the steps employees have to take to do routine tasks and find ways to minimize production time and increase efficiency. Consider the cost benefit of new equipment to help you do more faster. If you don’t have the room or the funds to expand, squeezing more efficiency out of the space you do have can be like adding an extra bay.

ο Inspect your equipment. Identify units that need to be repaired, replaced or removed, then set up a timetable to do so.

ο Review your partner agreements to make sure you’re getting the most from your equipment provider relationships. That might include taking advantage of training for your technicians, in-store displays, and other features or upgrades that may have been added since you bought what you have.

ο Develop a maintenance schedule. That includes everything from cleaning or painting the interior and exterior of your space, to performing maintenance on your major equipment, to optimizing your inventory levels and storage.

For more business planning checklist items, see our Business Values checklist, Tax and Legal checklist, Online Reputation checklist, Website checklist, and Employee Handbook checklist.

To print an easy checklist of the full 24-point, 2018 Business Planning Guide click here.