Some estimates say that as many as eight out of ten new businesses fail within the first 18 months. More conservative estimates say that about half of new business start-ups are still in business four to five years later. In either case, the likelihood of business failure is very high. Anything that improves the odds should be welcomed by, both, the business and the lender/investment communities. Studies prove that good planning practices more than double the chance of business success. Yet, the vast majority of small to medium sized businesses operate without a formal plan, and only a subset of those follow through, measuring targeted objectives and adjusting plans accordingly. Why?Some of the reasons include: they just don't know any better, it's just too complicated, and it's just too time consuming. Translation: it's just too easy NOT to do it. Start-up companies that need seed money must create business plans in order to obtain loans, attract investors and launch more successful crowd funding projects. But the process is often tedious and quickly forgotten after the initial requirement.Business owners and leaders need tools that help them easily articulate, revise and track plans and objectives on an on-going basis. Business is ART leads the reader through an easy to follow approach to business as ART, beginning with the vision and painting the picture through strategic planning, business planning and performance metric tracking. The emphasis is on ease and visual appeal in order to keep the reader engaged in the process long after putting down the book. The read is light, at times humorous, and includes several real-life examples, stories, quotes and anecdotes. Along the way it provides simplified, table-driven templates for creating plans and introduces a new, proprietary methodology for tracking metrics: the PingChart. Finally, Business is ART introduces a new, proprietary software for following this simplified approach.

Jon Umstead

Vancouver ; Berkeley: Figure. 1

Canada - English Language, Canada

New York, 2015

1, 2015

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Obscured text on front cover due to sticker attached.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1 online resource
Estimates say that as many as eight out of ten new businesses fail within the first eighteen months. More conservative estimates say that about half of new business start-ups are still in business four to five years later. In either case, the likelihood of business failure is very high. Studies prove that good planning practices more than double the chance of business success. Yet, the vast majority of small to medium sized businesses operate without a formal plan, and of those who do build a plan, only a handful carefully measure their targeted objectives and adjust their plans accordingly. Bu
Includes bibliographical references and index
Praise for Business Is ART; Title; Contents; Foreword; Introduction: Business Is ART; One: Business Is ART; Twelve Steps to Business as ART; Start with a Vision; Self-Assessment; Self-Assessment Template; Paint the Picture; Dream Big but Have Some Basis in Reality; Now Comes Strategy; A Note on Vision, Mission, and Purpose; The Chapter 1 Wrap; Two: Refusing to Be Constrained by the Shackles of Choreography; Dancing Elephants; Radical Change; No Shackles with No Plan Is a Waste of Time; The Shackles Are Developing Faster and Faster; Staying Relevant; Implore to Explore; The Chapter 2 Wrap
Three: Strategic PlanningCommon Myths about Strategic Planning; Revise or Refine the Vision as Necessary; Honestly Assess Today's Situation; Recognize the Gaps and Identify the Goals and Objectives; Identify Strategic Initiatives; Common Elements of a Strategic Plan; The ProCESS Strategy; The One-Page Strategic Plan; The Chapter 3 Wrap; Four: Strategic Management; Dust: The Difference between Strategic Planning and Strategic Management; Task Management versus Strategic Management; Determine How You Will Manage Strategic Initiatives; The Basic Components of a Project Plan; A Word on Delegating
Strategic Management of CustomersAvoid the Big Lie; The Chapter 4 Wrap; Five: Behavior Management; Behavior Management Starts with You; After You, Behavior Management Starts with Common Courtesy; The Three Pillars of Behavior Management; The Three Pillars Defined; Behavior Management Myths; Bonus and Pay-for-Performance Plans; The Chapter 5 Wrap; Six: The Business Plan; Why Would You Not Have a Business Plan?; The Business Is ART Business Plan Template; Operating Plan; I Have a Plan-Now what?; Well, That Didn't Work!; Prepare Yourself for Tough Choices; The Chapter 6 Wrap
Seven: The Importance of MetricsTracking Performance Is a Discipline; Key Performance Indicators; Don't Track Everything; Don't Be Afraid to Think Big; The Chapter 7 Wrap; Eight: Correlating Metrics; Cause and Effect; Pairing Theory; KPI Pairing Recommendations; The Chapter 8 Wrap; Nine: Ping Charting; Pictures and Graphs and Charts, Oh My!; The Origins of the Ping Chart; Foundations of the Ping Chart; Plotting the Ping Chart; Interpreting the Ping Chart; The Pursuit of Trivia; But I Already Did My Plan!; A Word on Resistance to Change; The Chapter 9 Wrap; Ten: The Business Is ART Wrap
The Business Is ART SoftwareA Final Word; Index; About the Author; Copyright

Estimates say that as many as eight out of ten new businesses fail within the first eighteen months. More conservative estimates say that about half of new business start-ups are still in business four to five years later. In either case, the likelihood of business failure is very high. Studies prove that good planning practices more than double the chance of business success. Yet, the vast majority of small to medium sized businesses operate without a formal plan, and of those who do build a plan, only a handful carefully measure their targeted objectives and adjust their plans accordingly.
Business Is ART provides business leaders with an easy-to-follow approach to business success. The book is intended for any business owner, executive or organizational leader, but is especially designed for the small to medium sized organization. Its purpose is to provide a simple process—with templates—that business and organizational leaders can follow, from the creation of a powerful vision, to strategic business plans, to performance metrics and back again in a continuous cycle of improvement.
Created by Jon Umstead, and tested over a thirty year business career, the ART program shows business leaders how to successfully Articulate their vision, Revise their plans, and Track their progress. Umstead draws on personal anecdotes and experience, as well as wisdom from other business leaders, to create an engaging, accessible and empowering guide to business success.

2023-06-28