Let’s begin with a few key questions:
Did you have a solid business plan prior to Covid and if yes, is it still working?
Are you a visionary who likes to stay on the high plane, not the ground level?
Do the words “ground level” sound like another way of saying “spreadsheet”?
Are you flying blind?
Most of us in the wine industry started out with a passionate dream, and it’s fair to say that for many artisan vintners and industry folks in general, the thought of pouring over spreadsheets all day long is frightening, dull, and to be avoided!
What attracted me to the wine industry 30+ years ago was not the business side of things - it was all the creative possibilities. Yet, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that a winery is a very risky enterprise, and it can end up controlling your life rather than you controlling it. Flying blind becomes a tremendous financial burden, not to mention it’s emotionally exhausting.
Here’s my TIP: Create a dashboard so you’re not flying blind - or create what author Gino Wickman calls, a “Scorecard”. Your dashboard/scorecard is a collection of measurables/numbers that you assemble based on your business. This handful of numbers is unique to your winery; it’s how you define success. If you update and review your dashboard once a week, it will allow you to know where your winery is, where it is going and if you are heading in the right direction.
'There is a very simple reason why every winery needs a dashboard: Numbers don't lie.'
The wine industry is fraught with subjectives, comparisons, emotions and egos. When you take them all away, and instead focus your attention on your dashboard and its handful of numbers, you can quickly identify where you are struggling and you can change course. You can also quickly determine where you are making headway, and this becomes very helpful in predicting what to do next.
Time spent creating a dashboard and then following it weekly will actually free you up to do the visionary and creative work you truly love! It can also help you sleep at night and reduce stress.
Not sure how to create your dashboard/scorecard? We can show you how to not only create one and customize it for your winery and your particular needs; we'll create it so that it’s quick and easy for you to use. End result: You’ll know what your numbers actually mean and how to gain traction.
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