Minding Your Business with a Business Plan

“By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be." Mark Victor Hansen could not have spoken truer words. The idea of writing down thoughts, goals, and dreams, is a transcendental one. In fact this very practice has materialized to a standard requirement in the world of business, formally known as a business plan. It is the vital blueprint for any startup and entrepreneurs are recognizing just how drastic business can change positively, with written foundations. So why are business plans so important?

Vision

If you were traveling somewhere you’ve never been before, would you go without a map? Probably not, so why would you embark on a business venture, where the risk is far greater, without having a blueprint? Your business plan functions as a map—your big picture. Before you start any business your only tool is your idea. As you begin to think about it more and more, ideas develop and a plan emerges. You start to consider factors like your target audience, market research, funding, staff/ employees, business registration, and the list goes on, but they still just classify as ideas in your head.

Documenting this information is what keeps your vision alive. It is your way of stepping outside of yourself to allow your vision to materialize. Further, organizing your ideas by formulating them in a business plan helps you build effectively and remove information that may be detrimental to your business as a whole. This inherent editing and buffering allows you to keep your vision in mind; the more you work on the plan, the realer your entrepreneurship becomes. Simply put, creating your business plan takes you from a dreamer to a doer.

Accountability

Your ability to transition from the phase of a dreamer to a doer often determines how serious you are about your startup. Creating a business plan requires work and research and this investigative nature of the process keeps you accountable in more ways than one. Firstly, your business plan makes you accountable for your own actions. When you make a plan and write it down you are more likely to follow through on that plan than if you had simply stored it away in your mind. Your business plan is your personal correctional officer, ensuring that you are working towards the fulfillment of your startup. 

Secondly, a business plan keeps you accountable to your potential investors, sponsors, and banks (when you apply for a business loan).  At some point you will realize that your startup is less about you and more about what service you are capable of bringing to the table. Investors and those alike, want to ensure that you are worth the investment: a) is there a market for your idea b) is it lucrative, and c) how big is the return on investment. Additionally, they want to be able to trust you and your abilities. In most cases, the primary source of endorsement is a well-orchestrated and thought-out business plan.

To Answer the Question: Should you really be starting a business?

A common mistake entrepreneurs make is underestimating how much work actually goes into starting and running a business. A business plan is one of the primary tools to weed out the weak from the strong, the able from the disabled, and the determined from the desolate. As mentioned above, your business plan is where the evolution of your idea takes place. As you comb through each category of the plan and consider your place in the entrepreneurial world, things can become overwhelming. It is at this point that you must reason with yourself. Consider whether this is a journey you should embark on now or, alternatively, if you would benefit by waiting a while. 

You might also reflect on whether you should partner with someone or work individually. How much time would you have to invest daily, especially if you’re pursuing a startup while working a full time job? At the very least, your business plan is your platform for evaluation; don’t take it lightly.

We’ve shared some of the most fundamental reasons for using a business plan for your startup and we encourage you to consider them before your next venture.  If you’ve been working on a business plan tell us why it’s an important starting point for you!