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)

As you can see, it is nothing too complicated, but drawing a timeline diagram one has many benefits. Here are some benefits of doing one.

It gives you and quick glance and overview of your milestones and achievements since inception
It brings perspective of your business's existence and where it is heading
It shows whether you are stagnating or growing
It gives perspective of the business stage you find yourself in at present
The timeline can give you a wakeup call if urgent changes needs to be made
Just like Google gives you a monthly timeline update of all the places you have been, your timeline is a visual picture of your business's movements over the years
It is a short, visual document that you can use to train new staff on your history.
You can also add it into a business proposal so potential investors (or lazy readers) can see your growth at a glimpse.

Here are some tips on how to do your own timeline today!

You could literally draw it on a piece of paper, or have it professionally done and printed.
A timeline for a project or person usually has a start (birth) and an end (death) date, but because your business is still in operation, it won't have an end date
Since timelines are usually measured in years, you should update yours annually also
Organize the events chronologically, so it makes sense in terms of the years
The timeline should tell a story of your business's life, so it should flow and make sense to you and the readers
Because of limited space on the page, use keywords or blurbs instead of sentences to describe the milestones
You can add pictures or visuals to create interest
Use lines and arrows to pinpoint special events and details.
Place it in a spot where you can see it every day. This will encourage you on low energy days.

For me, my timeline is a reminder of how far I have come with my business. Our business achievements should be celebrated! I hope you will do one today!

Lizl Naude is the founder of Lilly Loompa in South Africa, a company that creates beautiful and usable products made with recycled material. Lilly Loompa's “Rubbish Range” is the result of Lizl's craving to deliver pieces that are completely "green". Lizl is a self-taught designer and initially started designing and making furniture because she couldn’t afford to buy new pieces to furnish her home. She started to scout and source for budget material and quickly realised that most people discard of very usable materials. The company manufactures a variety of products, from storage holders, lamps, to dinner table accessories, among others. All materials are carefully sourced from waste and sustainably reimagined as beautiful, yet purposeful products. Eco-friendly, handcrafted and 100% South African, each Lilly Loompa piece, once trash, is now a meaningful piece of treasure.