How To Get A Business Plan To Work
Why Most Business Plans Fail (and How to Fix It)
A common frustration I hear from business owners is, “I’ve tried a business plan before, and it didn’t work.” It’s a sentiment that’s surprisingly widespread, and it usually stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a business plan actually effective.
The truth is, business plans don’t fail because the goals are wrong or the strategies are weak. They fail because they lack accountability and timelines – two essential ingredients for success.
Think about it: as children, we had parents or teachers to keep us on track. In employment, we’re accountable to our managers or supervisors. Even as business owners, we’re indirectly accountable to our customers and clients. But when it comes to implementing a business plan, accountability is often missing. Without someone holding us to task, the plan becomes just another document—ambitious, perhaps, but ultimately ignored.
This is where many entrepreneurs stumble. They write down goals, maybe even exciting ones, but there’s no built-in structure for follow-through. No one to ask, “Did you get that done?” And that silence quickly becomes inertia.
The second reason business plans often don’t work is a lack of timelines. A goal without a deadline is just a wish. If the plan doesn’t clearly lay out what needs to happen this week, next week, this month, or this quarter, then it’s difficult to track progress or make meaningful adjustments.
As a business coach, I don’t just help clients create compelling business plans, I help them implement those plans with structured accountability. Sometimes that means weekly check-ins, and for some, even daily follow-ups. It’s about translating goals into actionable steps and ensuring those steps actually get done.
Most business owners aren’t lazy. They’re hardworking, passionate, and driven. But we all have blind spots, and we all need someone to help us stay on course. Only a small percentage of people have the internal discipline to hold themselves accountable consistently and that’s okay.
If you’ve tried a business plan before and it didn’t work, chances are it wasn’t the plan that failed. It just needed structure, timelines, and a healthy dose of accountability. Get those in place, and your business plan becomes a roadmap you can actually follow.
Don’t let your business plan gather dust. With the right structure, timelines, and accountability, you can turn your vision into results. Need help building a plan that actually gets done? Let’s chat and create a business plan that works.
