Alrol: Down the Road with SWOT and Strategy

Road towards the future photo by andreas Indiana

Alrol is a financially independent and sound company:

For our business partners who count on us and our excellent products.
For our employees who want to have a future in our company
....

Our daily challenge is:

That we always think 'what if ?' which leads to careful spending.
That we are profitable in what we do and how we do it.
That we permanently increase our customer base.

extract of Alrol's Discipline 'We make profit with our products and we put money in the bank.'

I still remember how cold and windy it was on that day in October, 2010 when I took the photo above. Coming from a rather 'hilly' designed country, I am still fascinated how wide I can see in some parts of the U.S.

There have been some cool days in October 2013 even in Northwest Georgia.
On some of them I was rather sweating because of the work I had to do:

SWOT
Strategy 2014
Markets 2014
Numbers, numbers, ....

My Suffering:

Why should I even look into the future?

As the owner of a small business, I get much involved in daily business, and I have to deal with questions about next week or next month. And, I like this.

So, I have the tendency to work from day to day rather than looking ahead months or even years. Who knows about the future anyway?!

Once a month I meet with CEOs of similar companies.
One of our core values is: since nobody else around us really does it, we will do it; we hold one another accountable for any actions we do, and plan to do.
Once a year we meet for two days to present and to discuss our strategic planning.
Guess now, when this retreat was planned? Yes, end of October.

Now you understand why I was sitting and thinking hard during cool October days, asking for more and other numbers that I could crunch or transform into colorful pies.
I was sweating, and in a rather inaccessible mood to receive people.

My Findings:
Look into the future or, I may not become a part of it

Every single minute which I spent in this process was very well spent, and so was each drop of sweat!

SWOT

This was a healthy process for me to do.

It was fun to think about the strengths Alrol has, and to list and read them again.
I made me feel good and proud.
To get a humble attitude and to jog down the self-critics and weaknesses was rather tough.
Addressing them was the first step. Changing them is next.
When I was looking around further than Alrol's boundaries, I saw opportunities down the road. Opportunities bring a positive power into my business.
Outside of Alrol's borders, there are certainly unpleasant threats luring to destabilize us.
Once detected, we can prepare for them and avoid at least some unfortunate surprises.

Strategy and Markets 2014

This means planning ahead.That is what I like to do.

I take the starting point and think about my ressources. Then I can easily build scenarios and tasks. And especially tasks which I can delegate ....

Strategy for me is:

Taking the company's vision, mission, and generating ideas and plans to implement them.
Define steps (20 mile Marches) to do and to work towards our core values, our 5 Disciplines.
Prepare the journey on the road which lays ahead of us.

My Summary

My summary is simple:

SWOT gives the answers to who and what we are, and what we may face.

Strategy follows SWOT and defines how we will put the rubber on the road.

Of course, I like the 'rubber on the road' part ....

OK, besides 'looking into our future', our main focus still is on
You, and to serve You for all needs in coatings and coverings!

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all Your roller issues from re-coverings to special coatings.

The days are much warmer now here in Dalton, GA.
I have one year ahead of me until those cool October days in 2014, full of SWOT and Strategy 2015. May I sweat again? I do not care!
For me, the small business owner who gets easily lost in daily stuff, it became very important to take some time out and to look 'down the road'.