{"id":2155,"date":"2024-04-18T12:04:15","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T09:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldwww.amazes.pro\/?p=2155"},"modified":"2025-06-20T15:43:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T12:43:20","slug":"how-to-manage-future-business-without-burning-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldwww.amazes.pro\/en\/how-to-manage-future-business-without-burning-it\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage the future of business, and not \u201cput out fires\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/article.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,3],"tags":[11],"class_list":["post-2155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aleksandr-pankov","category-article","tag-strategiya"],"acf":{"article_bg":1949,"article_title":"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u0443\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043b\u044f\u0442\u044c \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0443\u0449\u0438\u043c \u0431\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0435\u0441\u0430, \u0430 \u043d\u0435 \u00ab\u0442\u0443\u0448\u0438\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u0440\u044b\u00bb","article_text":"","author":[344],"theme":"\u0421\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0433\u0438\u044f","content":"\u201cIf an entrepreneur does not look into the future, then the fate of his business is full of uncertainty,\u201d says Alexander Pankov, an expert in strategic management, consultant, chairman of the board of A.maze.S. He talked about how to learn to think about strategy and plan for the future in conditions where you have to \u201cput out fires\u201d every day.\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe expert offers 12 simple steps that will help you confidently move your business into a better future.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u2014 I specialize in strategy development. And I can say that in the difficult market conditions in which we now live, most companies spend a lot of effort every day to respond to changes and try to keep their business afloat. We concentrate on the moment \u201chere and now\u201d and almost forget that we need to think about the future. And if we don\u2019t do this, uncertainty will simply cover us. That\u2019s why I always tell entrepreneurs: dream about what your business will be like in a couple of years, and then it will be easier for you to find solutions.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cRAM\u201d completely absorbs the future<\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAccording to some estimates, small and medium-sized businesses spend only about 5-7 hours a month on strategy and planning for the future. That is, businessmen spend almost all their time \u201cputting out fires,\u201d \u201cflares on the left, flares on the right.\u201d In general, \u201cRAM\u201d. They simply don\u2019t have the opportunity to pause and breathe.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt looks funny when a business owner comes to me and says: \u201cMy plans are to grow my business x6. I need to conduct a strategy session, I can allocate 4 hours and $800 for this.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt turns out that everyone is interested in success, a bright future for the business, but can only devote half a day to ensure it. It doesn't work that way - even if an outside expert can develop checklists or something similar for you. The fact is that the future of business is not one alternative, but a whole set. And each one needs to be driven through yourself and your business. Thanks to these alternatives, we can look at our business model from different angles, evaluate the strategy more broadly - and as a result, select the most effective tools.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhat are the reasons that an entrepreneur cannot look into the future of the company two or three years in advance? I have selected eight options for owner behavior, summarizing examples from my experience. Note that in each case there are ironclad arguments not to engage in strategy.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOption 1. Zhdun. <\/b>Here everything is according to the classics: the owner, having a successful business, managed to get out of operational management and intends to work with strategy. But he sits in his chair and waits for ideas for business development and strategic decisions to appear on their own (of course, this does not happen). And after some time, the owner returns to operational tasks.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 2. Who will you go to the future with?<\/b> This is one of my favorites: \u201cI\u2019m alone at the crossing. Only I understand where to move and how. The company has 100 employees - and all of them are idiots. Not a single normal person."<\/span>\r\n\r\nI suggest such owners go to the mirror and ask themselves: \u201cWho brought these \u201cidiots\u201d together in this company?\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 3. Squirrel in a wheel. <\/b>Leaders of this type usually only object: \u201cWhat strategy are you talking about? I crawl home late at night and barely make it to bed. And in the morning the same thing begins - a bunch of current problems. When we deal with them, then we\u2019ll think about strategy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 4. White sheet.<\/b> The owner has no idea what to do next: prices have already been reduced to the limit, the margin is minimal. It is not clear how a business can develop.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 5. In pursuit of competitors. <\/b>Such a leader is always in the position of catching up. Competitors are tearing apart the market, and he is desperately pressing on the gas to get closer to them. Why he does this, he doesn\u2019t know. He doesn't want to change anything. And over time it just starts to lag behind.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 6. Donkey Eeyore. <\/b>Such an owner has the main message: you need to work more! He works hard without any strategy, quickly burns out, and ends up resenting everyone and everything.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 7. We put out fires \u201chere and now.\u201d<\/b> I hear from some leaders: \u201cStanding through the day and holding out through the night is the main thing. And we\u2019ll think about the future someday later.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nOption 8. \u201cThe neighbor\u2019s lawn is greener.\u201d <\/b>Such an owner has a lot of different ideas, but outside of his business. Instead of concentrating on the development of his company, he invests in startups, acquires cryptocurrency, etc., scattering investments.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd in the end, this can lead to the collapse of your own business, because, relatively speaking, there is only one wallet, but there are too many expense items.<\/i><\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhy do such scenarios appear? There are two fundamental reasons.<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • No time allocated for strategy. People start doing business, and they have to quickly learn everything - how to calculate income and expenses, how to control the flow of finances, etc. And so on endlessly, because there are a lot of questions. Meanwhile, work on the company's future is put on hold.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • There are not enough competencies to work with strategy. Developing a strategy requires knowledge, experience, and mastery of tools. And, of course, time! To prepare a business for changes, you must first change the approach to doing business: move away from operational tasks, look for alternatives, choose, listen to others, make decisions, defend your position.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\nSo, let's talk about 12 steps to business transformation:<\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Creation of a company information field. <\/b>My work with owners always begins with a question about the number of competitors. If they answer me that, let\u2019s say, about 200, then it is clear that such an answer says that the company\u2019s marketing is not very good... Because 200 competitors is a direct path to the cemetery: it is unrealistic to compete with such a huge number of companies, no one has there is not so much strength and resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n \r\n\r\nIn my opinion, a realistic figure is 3-4 competitors. Or 5, but that's the ceiling. I always advise: \u201cWe keep in sight two companies that we want to get ahead of, don\u2019t forget about two more that are breathing down our backs, we should be wary of them and we need to think about how to protect the business from them.\u201d And we look at the young and daring, who are developing contrary to traditions.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe main thing is not to get too carried away with competition.<\/span>\r\n\r\nCrazy businessmen can appear in any market and radically change the entire situation. In order to remain in this field in the future, we need to look at who is introducing innovations today, in what ways and for what purpose. Here it is important to keep the focus not on competitors, but on customers, because they are the basis of business sustainability.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhat is included in creating an information field in a company:<\/span>\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • collection of company analytics;<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • collection of customer analytics;<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • collecting analytics on competitors;<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • collection of analytics on suppliers;<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • industry trends and tendencies;<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • world trends and tendencies.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\nAs for analytical data, this is not just the volume of revenue for the current year, but in dynamics over 3-5 years, as well as an analysis of why they grew, for what reasons they fell, and how they looked compared to competitors. If we collect data on clients, we look at whether their number has increased or decreased, how requirements, motivation, shopping basket have changed, what happened to the sales model.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDynamics are very important when developing strategy.<\/i><\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI will give an example of a project implementation for one large organization. When we looked at the numbers, it turned out that out of 3.5 thousand clients, only a little more than 100 provide 70% of profit. If one of these customers leaves, it will hit the business extremely hard. Therefore, it is very important to look at who makes a profit for the company and how the situation with this category of clients looks over time. This information will be needed when discussing the future of the company.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt is necessary to keep 3-5 competing companies in sight and analyze their actions. And the key point is to try to include competitors in your business model by answering the questions:<\/span>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • Who are their clients, is there any overlap with yours,<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
          • How do competitors attract their \u201ctarget\u201d, what channels do they use for promotion,<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
          • What are the reasons why your clients switch to your competitors?<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
          • What does a comparison of competitors' revenue models show with yours?<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nDiscussing the future does not necessarily mean only new ideas. Look at what is happening in the world, study the main trends and their impact on the development of your business.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI advise you to study very carefully what is happening around you and adopt interesting solutions if this ultimately allows you to meet the needs of your audience. After all, clients are the most important thing!<\/i><\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nNow the question is: if the company, for example, has only 20 employees, then who will do this? It would be good to hire a marketer, analyst, or even a young specialist for an internship. However, the owner is looking for excuses not to do this: \u201cThere are no funds in the budget for this yet. We\u2019ll hire a specialist when we earn money.\u201d In fact, money will not just appear! But the entrepreneur does not want to invest in the future.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n
              \r\n \t
            1. Expanding your horizons.<\/b> It is very important to attend various conferences, forums, and seminars to study the opinions of other people, especially those who are looking into the future. Reading books should become a habit. Create a good library for your team, get together and share interesting \u201ctricks\u201d. Don't ignore YouTube channels run by famous entrepreneurs - they can be played in the background. Even if you do not agree with their opinion, it is already useful to join in the discussion and reflect. And any thoughts, even the most fantastic ones, are already a step towards the future.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n \r\n
                \r\n \t
              1. Seek help from experts, external consultants, your clients - anyone who can illuminate the future. <\/b>This resource is often underestimated. Talking to an expert in your industry can help you find the steps that will move your company forward\u2014and it's completely free. Expert advice certainly costs money. But your best expert can be your loyal client. Chat with him, find out what he expects from your company in the future, what he is not entirely happy with, why he is turning to competitors, etc.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n \r\n\r\nDon't be afraid of the truth, even if you have to hear that your product isn't as good as you thought. Sometimes it's good to get rid of illusions!<\/i><\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n
                  \r\n \t
                1. Choosing tools for \u201clife in the future.\u201d<\/b><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nLet me give you a few examples:<\/span>\r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  • Days of dreams. Set such days: for example, every Wednesday. And start dreaming with your team (especially those who can dream). The main rule is no criticism or restrictions. Let's say everything is possible. What will you choose? What clients would you like to work with in a couple of years? What products will you offer them?<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                      \r\n \t
                    • Conducting strategic sessions on specific topics. For example, set aside 3-4 hours and brainstorm on how to increase your company's visibility in the market or make it more effective.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                    • Interviews with clients. Distribute all clients among employees, and let each one personally communicate with them, ask about expectations from the market as a whole and from your company.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\nIf you, for example, are the owner of a restaurant business, then take off your expensive suit, put on a waiter\u2019s clothes and walk around your guests with a tray and chat with them. This way you will get more information than at a seminar or expert consultation.<\/i><\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n