“What’s the plan?”

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The plan is this — we need one! In order for a successful center/school to achieve all it can for its children, staff, and operator, a plan is critical. As you hopefully recall from the last "Management Maxim," I stated that good planning begins by looking into the future that you want for your center/school. Be as descriptive as possible in writing down the details of what that future looks like. Next, walk backwards from that future to the present, and the stepping stones become obvious.

Budgeting is a way to take that future you want and break it down into achievable, measurable pieces (stepping stones) that act as a tool in your journey. The budgeting tool can be as simple as a 'checkbook' type format where you have X amount to spend each month based on revenue or as sophisticated as a spreadsheet with categories, line items, and 'actual vs. plan' ...