Business Plan

Do I have a business plan for the next five years? 

In short, nope. 

Planning ahead in such uncertain times makes business plans feel a little fruitless to me at this moment in time. 

As we have seen over the last few years, we simply can't plan for every eventuality. We don't know what is round the corner, what's going to happen with policies and procedures that might affect smaller businesses (especially with a newly elected government and it being so new right now), or how the world will change. My business plan in 2018 upon planning to open up the eatery definitely didn't include a worldwide pandemic, an economic crash, massive inflation rates in ingredients, gas and electricity bills going through the roof, or what was about to happen in my personal life. 

Shortly after it was created, everything I'd planned went out of the window and I just had to do what I had to do to make it work... to make it sustainable and to keep it afloat. 

I have roundabout ideas of where I think I want the business to go but planning that to a tee seems like an impossible task and I'm more prepared if I keep a completely flexible view of the future of the business, and an and open mind. 

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail? 

I don't think so these days to be honest. I used to, definitely. I was a stickler for plans and having everything set out in stone. I loved a list and would stick to what I'd intended to do... never straying from the plan. I was prepared. 

Did this help one iota when the world was shut down and we could no longer function as planned and prepared for? Nope, it absolutely did not. 

What did help was the willingness to adapt, to change and adjust accordingly, and to essentially "wing it" through. 

All I know is that, right now, we are doing what we want and need to do for the current circumstances we exist in. The most we do for the future is make plans for the days and weeks ahead: booking events; ordering ingredients; making, baking and creating; taking it day by day. Knowing that one day it could all come to a halt, or it could soar, we won't know until we get there. 

Contrary to past Sarah, current Sarah is okay with this. We will adapt, adjust, change and wing it as necessary, and wherever we go we go 🥰