When I was a kid, one of my least favorite stories was The Tortoise and the Hare!  Why?  Because the slow, unglamorous, boring tortoise won! Back then, and even today, I see myself as more of a Hare making quick decisions and moving in short sprints.  However, I have come to understand, sometimes, you need the steady, predictable consistent approach of the Tortoise to be successful.

Creative and innovative small business owners and entrepreneurs are good at developing brilliant ideas, but often lose steam when it comes to working out the details.

Their  brilliant ideas suffer when they fail to think through all the steps necessary to turn their ideas into reality.

The result… failure or mediocre performance, when there could have been extraordinary success.

Whether you are trying to launch a new product or company, or simply run a successful promotion or special event, a well thought out tactical plan gives you a great foundation! While the amount of detail required will vary, any tactical plan should include the following:

• Resources Required – What do you need purchase? And how much will it cost?
• Specific Roles – What specific activities must occur, and who will do them?
• Timeline – Working backward from the launch date, when do specific things have to happen in order to launch your idea on time?
• Measures for Success – When it is all done, how will you measure the success of the project?

If being a Tortoise and worrying about the details really doesn’t suit you, find someone else who can be your Tortoise.  While they focus on the details of implementation, you can hop off to your next idea!