Picture this:

• My VP of Negotiations and Chief Sassiness Officer (aka the Big kid and the Little one) giggling in the back of the car;
• Safely-harnessed four-legged Shed-master (aka the Pup) napping on the passenger seat (all 65 lbs of him);
• And me behind the wheel, singing along Beach Boys' Kokomo, Ace of Base's Always Have, Always Will, even Row Row Row Your Boat (you should know that I am completely tone-deaf)...

Cooled water and non-melting snacks were carefully packed (it was a beautiful, 98-degree day), and strategically placed for an easy access. A list of possible rest- and emergency-stops was ready, and phone charger, power-bank, and another back-up were tucked away.

Miles passed by, all 130 of them, as we made our way across 3 States.

It was a fun road trip, just as easy as the cross-Atlantic one I had taken with the little ones a year ago. They are such good road warriors!

But, no mater how "routine" the trip, each one is as planned as possible. Then, there is a back-up plan, and a back-up plan for that.  What can I say, when traveling with the kiddos, you never know.

There's also a bag with several sets of change clothing, a ton of snacks, entertainment options, cleaning supplies, trash bags. Going somewhere for a day looks like we'd be moving for a week. (I am sure parents can relate).

And no, I consider myself a pretty easy-going and spontaneous person, actually.

Anyhow, as we drove that day, I remembered that the whole plan was turned upside-down due to a family emergency. The originally budgeted 2-day business-time had be completely reconfigured! Again, I was grateful to having have been an entrepreneur and not an employee, so there was no hoping that a boss would understand and approve the last-minute absence...

See, if you think about what you've just read, this is exactly how business operates:

• At first, it's small and easy to operate. You can pretty much pack it all up in a bag, and get up and go as you please.

• The more it grows and expands, the more there are moving parts to be taken into the account, planed for, managed. The more strategic you need to be, and diligent in assuring all the pieces are in place, implemented/executed in the right order for optimal results.

• And no matter how clear the plan, there is always a possibility that something won't go as planned.

So, regardless of how easy-going and spontaneous person you are, there is no "winging it" when it comes to business - at least not if you want to make it a sustainable, profitable, and successful.

It takes strategies, plans. The big picture (we're going on a 130-mile trip), and the details (if we leave at the usual nap time, the little one will be asleep some part of the way, and we should reach the rest stop right in time she wakes up, ready for lunch).

It takes forward-thinking and tapping into past experience (a laptop bag and other electronics and notebooks should not be placed behind the driver's seat at the big kid's feet, in case she spills her water, or worse).

Yes, there are many, many moving parts that make your business run on a daily-bases. And there are many more to be strategically incorporated when you set out to grow your business. It is easy to get overwhelmed, confused, even scared, intimidated.

Remember, you do not need to - and should not to - do it all on your own.

Schedule your complementary call with me, and I'll help you identify the missing links, costly leaks and gaps, so that you know exactly what to do, and how to move forward.

Talk to you soon!