Hi Folks,
If you are considering starting or have just started a home based business (I prefer the title micro business) you have been told or will be told a thousand times that you must have a business plan. And that’s good advice, but then these thousand people will give you a book two inches thick using terms that will boggle your mind and put you to sleep!
But the fact remains – you must have a business plan – even if it is only a part time enterprise mowing lawns on weekends.
I have great news and it comes from author Ed Martin: The One Page Business Plan.
This is the best instructions that I have read concerning a business plan for very small businesses. You can complete it in one day (maybe one evening) and it remains an ongoing work that you add to and change as often as needed.
Read this article several times, then write it down, put it in a notebook and get started getting your thoughts collected about your little business. I’ll bet it will be more help than you can imagine.
Woody
Successful Small and Microbusiness Planning – The One Page Business Plan
There is a huge industry built around writing business plans with software and books and experts all telling how to write one. A lot of people have a big vested interest in pushing biz plans. I’ve told people the same thing – you need to make a plan, but I’ve had second thoughts about this. I don’t think a formal plan is worth all the time and effort for lots of startups, especially microbusinesses. You’d be better off putting the extra time and effort into getting your business running.
The important thing is not how long the plan is but what you actually put in it to make it worthwhile. Keep it flexible. That’s one of the advantages of being a microbusiness. Here’s what you need for your one pager:
What business you’re truly in
This can change over time, which is why you update your plan.
Target market
Like the business you’re in, this can change as you find new markets and see that some don’t work.
How much money you need to run your business
Update this regularly because how much you have and how much you need will change.
Goals
Set up goals for your business. Try to make them measurable so you can see if you are meeting them or not.
Try
Any time length will do, but try to have some short and long term goals: daily, monthly, quarterly, yearly or what ever works best for you.
Needs
You probably have some kind of to do list for daily and weekly tasks. This is for bigger, longer term needs and goes with the Goals you set above.
Lessons Learned
Keep track of the mistakes you’ve made as well as your successes. Reminding yourself of where you went wrong can help you avoid the same mistake. Reviewing your wins can show you how to get more.
That’s it! The main thing is to be flexible. Don’t be afraid to make a change if something isn’t working out right or if you find something that works. A one page business plan will help you do that.
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Ed Martin For more on business plans check out my blog post Do You Really Need a Business Plan? Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E_Martin |