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Ep. 228 Planner Problems Solved: Discover the Real Culprit Behind Your Planning Struggles

If there’s one thing nearly all indie retail store owners struggle with, it’s planning. And when we struggle with planning, using a planner is next to impossible! But our planner problems CAN be solved when we address the real culprit behind our planning struggles. 

Read on to discover the real culprit behind your planning struggles. Plus, you’ll learn how to build new habits by combining one of my favorite business books with my favorite business tool—the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner! 

Planning can be a big struggle for store owners. 

And if you struggle with planning, then of course you’ll struggle with using a planner! 

planner problems

While I now design and sell planning tools for indie retailers, my entrepreneurial journey was full of planner problems. I was drowning in time mismanagement, overworking, and wading through heaps of inefficiencies. My husband even bought me a gorgeous planner…and I never used it (oops).

I decided to be a business owner for the freedom and flexibility it gave me. However, I quickly learned that I was stuck with my blue-collar career habits—the ones that I built based on a career that rewarded overworking. 

Thankfully, I realized that I was the only person who could break the habits that were no longer serving me. I had to learn how to manage my own time. My career and my previously programmed thoughts were no longer going to manage my time for me.

How Your Planner Can Facilitate New Habits so You Can Become the Best Version of Yourself

With decades worth of habits to rebuild or reshape—most of which were just ingrained in me by my previous work!—I had a tough road ahead of me. 

I knew I had to change. I had BIG goals I wanted to hit! But I wanted to hit those goals from a place of self-love and care, and while doing things I loved along the way. 

And that meant I needed a plan. 

I’m going to quote one of my favorite business books, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. If you want to read it, go to my online bookshop that helps independent retail bookshop owners.

You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems. -James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Planners are tools that facilitate the planning process. Your planner gives you space to get all the things out of your head, which in turn lightens your mental load. That allows you to create an action plan, track each step, strategize your next move, and simplify your business.

To build the habits that make all of that happen, though, you need to follow the four laws of habits.

Make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying. -James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

The Savvy Shopkeeper Planner (or, starting this year, Planning Workbook!) does three of the four. 

It makes planning attractive—it’s pretty and visually appealing. 

It makes it easy—you’ve got a plethora of helpful features in one tool.

It makes it satisfying—as you start using it, you’ll see how satisfying it is to see results and you’ll feel your brain get calmer. 

But YOU have to make it obvious. And the way to do that is by planning regularly. 

That might mean adding a reminder to your phone or a planning session to your Google calendar. Maybe you leave your planner on your coffee table so you have it on hand while drinking your morning coffee. Or perhaps you schedule a monthly session with your biz bestie so you can work on your plans together and hold each other accountable.

When you start building this new habit, you’ll commit even more. The second you make a mindset shift to being committed to yourself is when a planner feels magical.

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.  -James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

I had to build MANY new habits when I made the switch from my former career to owning two businesses. I had to teach myself the skill of making the habit obvious.

But I did teach myself and build the habits. I’m proof that it’s possible! I was committed to becoming the future version of myself that I held in my mind.

Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. -James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

There is no magic pill. But there are great tools to help facilitate goal-setting and habit-building!

The moment I realized that is when things started to change for me. I had a vision of my future self and knew how to become her.

Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations. -James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

planner problems

It didn’t happen in an instant, though. I had to be honest with myself and recognize that habits start with ME. 

I started working on myself and my new habits. Soon, the tools I purchased weren’t wasteful, they were useful!

If there was a soundtrack to this blog post, it’d be Taylor Swift singing, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.” 

We never want to acknowledge that we’re the problem. We want to blame it on something else. But it can be empowering to realize that if we’re the problem, we can also be the solution. Taking ownership of the problem means that we’re capable of solving it.

Solve Your Planner Problems with the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner or Workbook

With this launch of the new Savvy Shopkeeper Planner, I want you to buy a tool that you’re ready for. 

retail store planner

It’s an incredible tool that checks off three of the four boxes of building habits. But it isn’t a magic pill. The fourth box is YOU. 

If you are ready to commit and build new habits—or if you already love and use the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner and can’t wait for this new edition—then you should go to savvyshopkeeper.com/planner and grab your copy! 

New for 2024: a PAPER Version of the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner!

This year, we’re offering two versions of this business tool for indie retail shopkeepers. You asked and it’s finally here—there’s a paper version of the planner!

The paper version is a slimmed-down version of the planner. It includes the key worksheets from the planner but doesn’t have the daily or weekly calendars. While the full digital planner is about 600 pages long, the planning workbook is about 150 pages.

The paper workbook will get mailed to you within a few days, while the digital version will be delivered to your inbox immediately. Most of the digital planner users use it with an iPad, Apple pencil, and the Goodnotes app.

How Much Does the Planner or Workbook Cost?

Inflation this year has affected all of us. That’s why we didn’t raise the price of the digital planner—we LOWERED it. We’re committed to making this tool attainable for store owners and lowering the price was the best way to do that!

There’s also early bird pricing through August 22, 2024, which means the time to buy is NOW. 

The full digital planner with 600+ pages is just $77 (regular price, $97). The printed planner workbook with 165 pages of planning tools is $47 (regular price $57). 

You can get these planning tools created just for indie store retailers with early bird pricing through 8 PM EST on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

Last Key Update to the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner: the Calendar Year

Not only did we lower the price, but this year’s version is a 15-month tool! 

This applies to both the printed workbook and the full digital planner. Both start with calendars and tools from October 2024 and run through December 2025. 

The 2026 planner will be a regular calendar year, running from January to December 2026.

planner problems

Plan for Your Business and Achieve Your Vision of Future You

Are you ready to plan for your business AND get really good at it? Take these three steps:

#1. Buy the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner or Workbook NOW. Go to savvyshopkeeper.com/planner to see a side-by-side comparison of the two planning tools we’re offering this year. That will help you decide which one works best for you! Plus with early bird pricing through August 22, 2024, you’ll save $20 off the regular price of either tool. 

#2. Build better habits by following the advice in “Atomic Habits.” If you know the roadblock is YOU, then building the HABIT of planning needs to come first. You can grab your copy of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear at my online bookshop (which also supports indie booksellers!).

As a side note, I normally prefer to read my books rather than listen to them. I did listen to “Atomic Habits,” though, and it was impactful! The author’s voice was also easy to listen to.

#3. Buy the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner or Workbook AND Build better habits. If you can, do both! Get your planner and read “Atomic Habits.” Go all in on yourself. Let this be the year that you stop procrastinating, stop scrambling, stop doing everything at the last minute, stop losing out on revenue and profit, and stop hustling.

We (meaning 3 team members PLUS me) spend countless hours making decisions about the planner and designing it. We genuinely want to make a helpful tool SPECIFICALLY for independent retail store owners. 

By the way, this year’s design was inspired by so many of you who always tell me you want to do BIG THINGS.

If you do your part by committing to yourself and building the habit of planning, then we’ll continue committing to you and providing the incredibly helpful and thoughtfully laid-out tool designed for your business. 

NOW GO DO BIG THINGS! 

retail planner

Visit savvyshopkeeper.com/planner to buy and get the early bird pricing before it ends on August 22, 2024, at 8 PM EST.

Resources

Timestamps

  • [03:20] How Your Planner Can Facilitate New Habits so You Can Become the Best Version of Yourself
  • [11:54] Solve Your Planner Problems with the Savvy Shopkeeper Planner or Workbook
  • [18:36] Plan for Your Business and Achieve Your Vision of Future You

Connect With Kathy

Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. 

Connect with Kathy and learn more here:

Website: www.savvyshopkeeper.com 
Instagram: @savvyshopkeeper
Mastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

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