#834 Your 2026 Business Plan in 36 Minutes [FREE Resource]
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode breaks down a simple, reliable framework for setting effective business plans for 2026 that can be completed in just a few hours. The host shares the exact process used with DC Black members and executive coaching clients, emphasizing that this system works whether you're a solopreneur or running a multimillion-dollar business. (01:22)
- Main Theme: The episode focuses on creating a painfully simple yet incredibly effective planning system using four core tools: a budget/cash flow spreadsheet, scoreboard, scorecards, and cadence - essentially requiring only a spreadsheet, slide deck, Google Docs, and calendar to run a successful business. (24:36)
Speakers
Dan Andrews
Dan Andrews is the co-founder of Tropical MBA and host of the Tropical MBA podcast, which focuses on helping entrepreneurs build profitable location-independent businesses. He provides executive coaching and works with DC Black members on business planning and strategy. Dan is also a father who has been on a personal journey of learning about health and wellness optimization.
Key Takeaways
Set One Clear Overarching Goal
The most effective approach for bootstrappers is to select one simple overarching goal that ties the entire system together, rather than having multiple competing objectives. (02:15) This goal should typically be either a revenue goal or profitability goal, with the host recommending setting both a top-line growth goal and a bottom-line profitability target. The key insight is that you'll deduce the rest of your plan from this single goal, creating clarity and focus for both you and your team.
Write a Credible Plan, Not a Hope
You must be able to write out in detail how you're going to achieve your goal, including the costs, metrics to track, and specific methods. (05:17) As the host emphasizes, "if you can't write out how you're going to do this in detail, it's not your goal. It's your hope." This process often reveals cracks in your thinking - for example, realizing that doubling revenue through sales calls means you personally would need to make all those calls, forcing you to face the real constraints and costs of your plan.
Translate Financial Goals into Team-Executable Metrics
You cannot simply put a cash flow spreadsheet in front of your team and expect execution - it's actually disempowering because it's unclear how activities lead to revenue. (13:03) Instead, you need a scoreboard that breaks down your top-line goal by product and sets weekly targets for key metrics like marketing qualified leads, sales qualified leads, and conversion rates. This translation from financial targets to actionable team metrics is the executive's critical responsibility.
Implement Weekly Tracking with Green, Yellow, Red Status
Every week, your team or yourself must manually input numbers to represent whether you're on track (green), at risk (yellow), or off track (red) for each key metric. (14:03) This weekly scoreboard meeting creates immediate visibility into whether you're progressing along your plan. The power comes from being able to make adjustments quickly - if you're not selling enough event tickets by a certain date, you know immediately that you won't hit your goal and can adjust both strategy and budget accordingly.
Focus on Doing More of What Works, Faster
Rather than seeking completely different strategies, the answer is often to identify what's already working in your business and do more of it more effectively and at a faster cadence. (25:48) The host notes that when you have a clear GPS system of goals, plans, and tracking, "the promise is that you can speed up the cadence of your execution." This might mean taking something you do once a month and doing it weekly, or something you do weekly and doing it daily - leveraging your proven successes rather than constantly seeking new solutions.
Statistics & Facts
- Ryan Deiss mentioned in his tweet that many businesses have scaled from $1 million to $10 million using a very simple scoreboard system that breaks down goals by product with monthly targets. (14:03)
- The host's company theme for the current year was "simplify, focus, and execute," while next year they're moving to a "leadership and speed" theme. (17:35)
- The planning system uses exactly four tools to run a multimillion-dollar business: a spreadsheet, a short slide deck, some Google Docs, and a calendar. (24:36)
