The Importance of Developing a Timeline For Your Business  — Lionesses of Africa

by Lizl Naude 

Do you keep a timeline of the history of your business? Have you ever thought of doing it? What is a timeline you ask? According to the Oxford dictionary, a timeline is…

• a graphical representation of a period of time, on which important events are marked

• a chronological arrangement of events in the order of their occurrence

• a schedule for when a process or procedure will be carried out

Like so many of you, my life and the life of my business have been filled with many eventful experiences and this often leads to us forgetting certain memories or periods. I do not believe this is on purpose, but sometimes there is just too much going on, so your brain tends to focus on the here and now.

Question: Have you ever sat down and written down your history? Yes, most of us have documented business profiles or vision boards, but drawing a timeline is such a sobering and powerful exercise. I did one last year, and as I was working on it from year to year, it made me so proud and gave me so much courage to continue. Here is an example of a typical timeline template for a company or business. (Courtesy of Venngage Graphics)