I hear it all the time. Entrepreneurs are not convinced that they need a plan. And, I have to admit, when I started my first business back in 1999, I didn't think I needed a plan either. I just figured I wanted a successful business and that was enough to move me forward. I started working with a business coach who gave me quite a few reasons to write a plan. I broke down and wrote the plan. And you wanna know what? It helped my business take leaps toward my goals.
See, before I had a plan, I was just out here floundering around. I couldn't even really articulate what success meant to me. Once I had a plan in place, I knew exactly where I was headed, and I had a pretty good idea about how I was going to get there.
It doesn't matter what kind of business you have - your own, or a direct sales business - you will benefit from having a plan. A business plan includes your long-term goals for your business, as well as a short-term plan to get you there. Still not convinced you need a plan? Here are three good reasons to have one.
1. It's not so much the plan document itself that is important, but it's the process of going through and creating a plan. When you create a plan for your business, you really get a chance to pull apart your idea and look at each facet of it. You have the opportunity to decide if this is something you are truly passionate about. And, you get to clearly define your business. When you have a Crystal Clear picture of what your business looks like (on paper, and off) you can articulate what you do to your customers. If you can't tell people what you do and what your business is about, you'll lose them.
2. Do you know for sure that you have a viable business idea? Creating a business plan will allow you to see how feasible your ideas are. If you do an in-depth plan that includes financial and market research data, you can see in cold hard numbers how your plan will work. You'll know exactly how big your market is, and you'll know exactly how much money you need. You will also be able to see if there are places that you need to make adjustments.
3. You business plan is your road map to success. Without having a clear picture of the end result you're seeking, how will you know when you get there? Your business plan will allow you to set longer term goals, and it will give you a plan that you can follow to achieve them.
It's possible to create and follow a very simple plan. In fact, your plan doesn't have to be longer than one page. A good plan includes your vision, mission, your objectives (or goals), and the strategies you will use to reach your objectives.
If you are not seeking financial backing, you can create a simple plan simply by outlining the sections mentioned above. Once you've set up your plan, take action. It's not enough to just write everything down. Follow your plan and update it often. Before you know it, you'll have a Powerful Business!
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Givler
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