How To Plan a Business Planning Retreat
Sometimes in order to truly “see” our business as the CEO we need to take a step back and get away from it all.
Away from the emails, the instant messages, and texts, the home to-do list, the kids, the...well...everything that’s part of day-to-day life.
My yearly business retreat is the most important thing I budget for in my business each year, and I’ve done one every single year since 2017.
By doing my retreat in October/November, I can give myself the time to assess my year so far, and make high-level plans for the next year.
But the absolute best part? By getting my future plans and goals out of my head and framed out — I can truly rest and relax over the holidays.
How many times have you told yourself that this is the year you’re finally going to take more time off for the holidays and relax?
And how many years have you found yourself constantly anxious over work you haven’t done and waking up on January 1st with no real plan for the year?
Doing a business retreat is the way to finally get ahead of your business goals and marketing plans so you can take that time off.
Why you need a business planning retreat
If you’re a work-from-home entrepreneur - especially a parent - the work day can be a rat’s nest of stuff to do, both personal and professional. You do your best to plan your week and stay focused, but life inevitably happens and we tend to react to the immediate needs of others.
Ideally, in the best of times, we carve out space for family-only days, self-improvement and education, and do our darndest to only check email a couple of times per day. But the edge of those spaces tends to get fuzzy and gray over time.
There are several years I’ve felt a little (ok, a lot) directionless in my business. I knew I had to make big changes to stop losing control of my time and my plans. I was tired of being the worker bee - constantly trying to catch-up and underpaid.
I went on my own business planning retreat for the first time in the fall of 2017. I was able to lock myself in a nice hotel room with an incredible view for almost 3 days to take stock of 2017 and plan for 2018.
It was incredible.
I went with a plan of action and got more done in that short amount of time than I thought humanly possible.
But it wasn’t about getting done all the little things that were unfinished from my year…
…it was about getting done the high-level CEO work that had gotten shoved to the bottom of my to-do list every week.
I’m a natural introvert who recharges by being left alone, so the idea of being alone in a hotel room for one or two nights to just plan and dream was absolute heaven. No running errands, no checking email, no kid-taxi service, no talking or being talked at. *le sigh*
Taking a couple of days to devote to the bigger dream and plan for my business is now a non-negotiable.
But you don’t need a lot of time or a big budget to do your own retreat — you can do the most important tasks in half a day for the cost of coffee or lunch.
Click here to learn more about planning your own retreat and get 2 free gifts to help.
Step 1: Decide On Logistics
Getting away for two or three nights is great, but one night or an entire day will do as well. If you cannot do a hotel night, finding a quiet place where you can hole up all day for a day or two will work - like a library or day spa.
Step 2: Make A List Of Work
Start a few weeks out with a running list of big items you need to work through or plan for the next year. These could be top-level items like creating an organization chart for all key jobs in your company (even if it’s just you), or more detailed like marking down all the hashtag holidays you’re going to create content for.
You should have a mix of big-idea CEO work (i.e. what are my core business values?), and smaller tasks you can do when you need to take a brain-break (i.e. organize my Google Drive and archive old files).
The work will likely fall into these categories:
Marketing (digital or otherwise)
Financial (P&L and forecasting)
Services (updates or re-working)
Products (updates)
Content (planning out blogs and promos)
Systems (workflows and processes)
Analytics (tracking and measuring)
In addition, I make learning and education a big part of my job as CEO. I would also include what you want to learn and read as part of your goals and calendar.
After you jot down and brainstorm this list - copy the final list of priorities and to-do’s into a document or notebook.
Step 3: Create A Schedule
Plan your time like you would get an itinerary at a conference. I’m serious. This will help keep you on track and take it seriously.
Like this:
10am - arrive at hotel, unpack, go for a walk.
11am - plan monthly content theme
12:30pm - lunch and journaling or reading
2pm - work on main email marketing automation sequence
4pm - organize client onboarding process
5pm - dinner
6pm - reading and journaling
7pm - list of books to read
...etc etc
It’s important to be realistic and manage your energy levels for both your brain and your body.
Thinking you’re going to do deep work requiring high-level thought for 6 straight hours is a big mistake.
Try framing out 90-minute or 2-hour blocks for the most important priorities, and buffering them with breaks like taking a walk or a nap (or a spa appointment!).
Step 4: Pack
You want your fun office stuff with you, as well as any business essentials. If you’re in a hotel room, hopefully, it has a desk where you can work. If you’re in a close-to-home location, try to find a table or quiet area for yourself.
I’m an office supply junkie and I have a carry-on suitcase just for all the items I’m bringing to help me plan it all out.
Here’s a list of what I bring:
Laptop
Mouse (I hate the laptop track mouse)
Earbuds
Webcam and Microphone
DSLR camera
Tripod and selfie light
All the chargers for all the things
Post-its in many different sizes and colors (I color-code my brain dumps)
Tons of colored pens and sharpies
Year calendar
2 or 3 notebooks
Paperclips to organize notes
A book or two (business and fiction)
My own sparkle water and a bottle of champagne - because yes.
So basically, I go full-on “A Beautiful Mind” at my business planning retreat.
Step 5: Inform Everyone You’re Unavailable
Let your clients know you will be out of the office. Let your significant other know you’re unavailable unless there’s an emergency. Delete your FB app from your phone. Turn your out-of-office responder on for your email.
Seriously.
You will not get nearly what you need to out of your planning retreat unless you focus and give yourself that time.
Business Retreat Workshop
Join me for a Business Retreat Workshop and learn how to head into the holiday season with clarity, focus, and a plan for growing your business next year.
Business Retreat Workshop
Lifetime Access
2 Free Gifts
This Workshop is for entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel like they're always "head down working", checking off to-dos, with no time to take care of their business like the CEO they really are.
You'll Learn:
How to create and plan your own business retreat, no matter your time and budget.
The 5 essential questions to ask yourself to know, with clarity, what to lean into and what to let go of in your business.
How to prioritize your retreat time and create an agenda to get your most important work done.
You'll Receive:
Lifetime access to the workshop so you can go back and watch anytime.
2 FREE gifts: a retreat workbook & the entrepreneur's housekeeping checklist.
Conclusion
Taking a break from the day-to-day and week-to-week grind of your business is essential to making progress on your business goals.
Planning your own business retreat to give yourself time to think, plan, and dream about your business as the CEO will not only help you get ahead, but you’ll be able to rest and relax for the holidays knowing you are ready to go on January 1st.
