I now
work much better starting backwards than
forwards.
It’s
something I learned long ago when I
realized that there were certain times
of the year when buyers placed their
orders. When I started my business, I
was not fully cognizant of the ebb and
flow of the ordering, shipping and sales
processes and how they all overlap.
I had
always been a consumer. I did know if I
wanted to buy a bathing suit I would
have to buy it way in advance of when I
was actually going to wear it if I
wanted a good selection. But until I was
in a product based business I did not
fully comprehend the idea of working
backwards.
Working
backwards, or creating a time line with
the end in mind is a critical concept to
creating a line or product of any type
whether you are going to sell retail or
wholesale. There is a drop dead date for
completion whether it is prototypes,
sample goods for shows or final goods
for delivery to stores or for selling at
craft fairs.
At some point there is
what I affectionately call a Final Final
deadline – and if you’re not ready you
lose.
You lose not just sales but credibility.
This is how important it is to set an
accurate timeline and learn how to work
backwards.
This is not goal setting
– a goal has an implied message of
“maybe I will maybe I won’t”, creating a
Working Backwards time line is a “DO OR
DIE” for your business – otherwise you
have a hobby.
Here’s
How to Work Backwards:
-
What is the drop dead
date?
My definition of Drop Dead Date (DDD)
is the date of the show, presentation
or whatever it is you’re planning. It
is THE ACTUAL DATE of the event. This
is your first decision for your
planning. No padding allowed here,
we’ll talk about that later.
-
What is the date today?
Simple enough to figure
out.
-
What are ALL the steps
that need happen in between?
This means EVERYTHING that needs to be
completed in order to meet the goal –
every single step along the way no
matter how big or small - nothing
should be overlooked. I find the best
way to come up with the steps is to do
a “brain dump”. Take out a piece of
paper and let your mind wander while
you dump everything onto the page.
After you have amassed your list you
can categorize the steps.
-
Create the milestones:
This can at first be a little
challenging if this is your first time
creating a collection or a product
because you may not be as familiar
with the amount of time each step
takes. The first time with anything –
whether developing a line or working
with a new vendor is always the
toughest and the most challenging.
Nevertheless, assign the amount of
time each action will take based on
your current knowledge. For example if
you need to have buttons dyed to match
for your samples, make a note of what
the manufacturer tells you and then
add a few days. You’ll soon come to
realize which milestones are the most
critical for meeting the deadline you
need to make.
-
Who’s in charge here?
Once you’ve got the milestones decide
who is in charge of each. And if the
buck stops with you on everything who
is going to assist you? It can be
challenging to be in charge of
everything when you’re trying to get
ready for a show or create a new line.
A wise mentor once told me, “Do what
only you can do and delegate the
rest.” Words I did not take to heart
at first but wish I had sooner rather
than later. You are going to need help
and I strongly encourage you to find
resources. If you already have a team,
make sure each member understands
their role and their deadlines. Set
regular times for communication with
the team members.
-
Keep Track of
everything:
This is the part most small businesses
skip over – and later on find they are
in a constant state of overwhelm.
Please do not skip this step!
Creating the milestones and
assigning ownership of each is not
enough. The part that will automate
your business in the long run is
actually documenting your tasks. So,
back to ordering those dyed buttons –
what do you have to do to place the
order? What steps do you actually
follow to do this? Write them out and
enter them into your “Operations
Manual” so next time you have to order
dyed to match buttons you know exactly
the steps you need to go through to
place the order. This way you will
remember AND you can delegate the
task. A quick tip on setting up your
Operations Manual is to use the MS
program 1Note – it comes all tabbed
and indexed and you can easily create
documents as needed an drop them in
place on your computer. Alternatively
get a ringed binder with tabs and
start filling in the processes as you
go.
-
Allow extra time for
delays & have a back-up plan ready to
implement:
I learned that no
matter how well you have your plan put
together on paper it is critical to
allow for delays – even though you
have no idea what they may be. We once
had an important delivery for a
catalog order for Nordstrom and our
button company had a delay in getting
a huge quantity of porcelain bunny
buttons delivered. Because the sweater
had already been photographed and in
the catalog that was ready to drop,
these buttons were essential. Arriving
the day before the shipping deadline,
I enlisted our entire staff to hand
sew the buttons and pack the orders.
It was an all nighter for everyone.
This was something we
As your
businesses grows, Working Backwards will
become second nature – but if you start
from the beginning I guarantee your
business will grow much faster than you
ever thought possible!
For More information about this subject
and much more about creating your
Design 2 Market Success business
we invite you to join our INNER CIRCLE
which you can test drive for $1 or $7.
To take a look at all the help for your
creative business click here:
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