Before small business owners will tackle and solve a problem, they must acknowledge that a problem exists in the first place. If they do not agree that the lack of small business planning is causing problems, then it is unlikely that the absence of a business plan will motivate small businesses to make business planning a higher priority.
What will change this perspective? Usually a variation of the "squeaky wheel" will elevate planning to an actionable status if the lack of it is causing a serious problem elsewhere in the business. The most frequent current example of this scenario is occurring when small businesses experience problems with their bank and existing (or future) commercial loans and they begin to ask business finance questions about their realistic financial choices.