What If Your Plan Doesn’t Work?

We’ve all been in a place where we took time to carefully plan a project with all details in mind. Whether it be the launch of a product, a creative event, or a process in place to run your operations. You were careful in making sure that all your “I’s” were dotted and “T’s” were crossed. You knew your plan A would work, and if didn’t, you had a contingency plan in place that would make sure you reached your goal. You, my fellow entrepreneur, had created a solid plan. Right?

At least you thought you it was solid. It seemed to be the case, especially since you did your research and thought it out. But did you? Did you think about the possibility of how it couldn’t work? Have you thought about the things that could go wrong and caused either a delay or for you to miss the mark?

Let’s explore that.

Last week I sat with some friends and we discussed an upcoming venture they were about to launch in their small business. They would start a webinar series that would allow them to reach a greater audience. It would give them the ability to present to many people using the same amount of time it would to sale to one. We work smart. They were excited about the launch and so was I for them.

I decided to play devil’s advocate. This wasn’t to be pessimistic or unsupportive but to challenge them further. Sometimes as entrepreneurs we don’t think about the possibility of something not working after we’ve set our mind to achieving it. Thing is, it’s healthy to think of all opposing factors.

Challenging your original idea will help you identify weaknesses and or possible structure issues when it comes to implementation.

We will make mistakes in our small businesses. It’s apart of growth and learning. The important thing is to decrease those mistakes and avoid unnecessary failures. Even after careful planning, ask yourself “what if your plan doesn’t work?“.

Calibrate your entrepreneurial mindset by strengthening your ability to step outside of the box and see the opposing position.

A few general opposing questions you could ask are.

1. How do you know the price is at a point where people will buy?
2. Will consumers make repeated purchases based on emotion, value, or price?
3. Why do you think people will register for your webinar other than the fact that it’s free?

Consider how your plan might not work. It will give you insight and confidence in moving forward. You will either continue as planned, improved the process, or abandon ship. Whichever direction you take, don’t consider it as failure, but growth through experience.

How do you test the strength of your ideas?