05.19.25 -- I keep hearing the same three phrases from business owners:
"I need to clean up my books first." "Let me just hit this next revenue milestone." "I honestly don't even know what my ideal retirement looks like."
Sound familiar? If you're nodding right now, you're not alone. And you're definitely not careless or irresponsible. You're human.
But here's the hard truth I've learned from working with businesses: the perfect moment to start planning doesn't exist. The right moment is now—messy books and all.
Why Your Brain Fights Financial Planning
There's a reason planning feels overwhelming. Your brain is wired to seek certainty before taking action. In business, this makes sense. You research markets, validate ideas, test products. Planning feels like it should work the same way.
It doesn't.
Financial planning isn't about having all the answers before you begin. It's about using the process of planning to discover what those answers should be. Think of it like building a product—you don't wait until you have the perfect version to get feedback from customers. You start with a prototype and iterate.
The Momentum Principle
I call this the Momentum Principle: Start → Structure → Clarity.
When you start planning—even with incomplete information—you create structure. That structure generates momentum. And momentum leads to the clarity you thought you needed to begin with.
Time becomes your biggest asset, not your enemy. Every month you wait is a month you could have been building toward your goals. The magic isn't in the perfect plan; it's in the compound effect of consistent, intentional action.
What Actually Moves the Needle
Forget the fantasy of the perfect financial plan. What you need is simpler:
A willingness to face the numbers. Good or bad, your current financial picture is your starting point, not your destination.
Recognition of your window. Whether you're scaling up or planning your exit, you have a unique opportunity right now that won't look the same next year.
A plan designed to evolve. Your business changes. Your life changes. Your financial plan should be built to change with you.
The goal isn't perfection—it's progress.
Your Three-Step Reality Check
Want to start today? Try this exercise:
First, pull up your last three months of personal and business expenses. Don't judge them, just categorize them as fixed or flexible. This gives you a baseline for decision-making.
Second, calculate your 90-day survival number. If your income stopped tomorrow, how much cash would you need to maintain your current lifestyle for three months? This number is more important than your revenue goals.
Third, write down the three financial questions that keep you up at night. The ones you avoid thinking about during the day but that creep in when you're trying to sleep.
These aren't polished answers—they're the raw materials for real solutions.
The Backwards Strategy That's Costing You
Here's something that concerns me: I regularly meet with business owners who tell me they'll start serious financial planning "after the sale." Once the numbers are clear, once the deal is done, once the dust settles.
This is backwards thinking.
The best time to plan isn't after the sale—it's before you even put your business on the market.
Early planning gives you leverage. It lets you structure the sale to minimize taxes, define what "enough" actually means for your family, and avoid the panic that comes with sudden liquidity.
You spent years building your business to create freedom for yourself and your family. Don't let poor planning steal that freedom back.
The Truth About Readiness
Your business didn't wait until you felt ready to launch. Your biggest client didn't wait until you felt ready to handle their account. Your best employees didn't wait until you felt ready to manage them.
Your financial life shouldn't wait either.
You don't need perfect clarity to start planning. You need to start planning to get clarity. The motion creates the momentum, and the momentum creates the results.
Ready to Stop Waiting?
If you're tired of feeling "not ready" and want to move toward feeling in control, that's exactly what I help business owners do. I specialize in helping transform financial uncertainty into strategic advantage.
Your starting point doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be real.