Becoming Wise - Wild & Free - Writing A Successful Business Plan - Part 2 - Do It In Steps

So you've decided to write your own business plan because you know the value that the experience will give you. With the books and software that are out there today you can probably sit down and complete the plan in a day or so, right? Plug in the numbers, add the notes, write the whole narrative (story), print it and get it out to the banks or investors.

If you can complete a plan in a day or so you are either an expert, that has already done all of the research, or you are heading for big trouble, because you have not done enough research. If you are like most people you have a job, a family and commitments that take up a lot of time. It would be impossible to write a business plan that quickly, even if you know your stuff. You have probably heard the old adage, 'Rome wasn't built in a day' well, neither was a good business plan.

To create a top quality business plan you need to research each and every aspect as diligently as possible. Take your time and think of everything, don't leave anything to chance.

That sounds like a lot of work and a long drawn out process. How will you remember or even think of everything? How can you keep track of what you have to research? If you have to set your plan aside for a while, how will you remember where you left off? You may get tired, bored and even careless in your efforts because like most people you probably have Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to doing this type of work.

The answer is to do your plan in steps. A good guide book or business plan software will ask you to complete work as you go, one step at a time. You read a section, do some research on the items(s) in the section and enter the information that you discovered. This way you are focused on each item as you go and never become overwhelmed. You will also be able to remember where you were when you have to set the plan aside for a few days, without having to re-read a novel. The process may still seem long but if you concentrate on doing your plan in steps it will be done before you know it.

This series of articles has been written in steps because most people don't have the time to sit down and read a novel. You can even do your financial projections in steps, which is where I recommend that you start. Doing the projections will help you analyse the feasibility of your project before you spend a ton of time writing a complete plan that may or may not work for you.

Look for the next article on Writing A Successful Business Plan - Part 3 - 'The Feasibility' of the Becoming Wise - Wild & Free series.

About The Author

Written by Rod Francis - President of Advantage Venture
Systems Inc. creators of the Venture Planning System(tm)
Pro business plan software @ www.VPSpro.com

Suite 207, #1-1081 Central Ave. N.,
Swift Current, SK Canada S9H 4Z1

Check for more articles on writing a business plan at: http://www.vpspro.com/business_plan_articles.html

---

Balanced Scorecard Strategy Map

With the help of balanced scorecard strategy map, it is... Read More

Becoming Wise - Wild & Free - Writing A Successful Business Plan - Part 2 - Do It In Steps

So you've decided to write your own business plan because... Read More

How To Get More Business During The Winter Months

Business seems to drop, slow or even stop during the... Read More

Why 9 in 10 Businesses are Overspending on Day-to-day Expenses

Experts estimate that 90 percent of Australian businesses are overspending... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains in Advertising & Publishing ? implementation highlights

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics is excellent fit... Read More

Are You Ready To Go International?

Although North Americans were the dominant population on the Internet,... Read More

Under Construction During the Storm ? A Hurricane Guide for Businesses that are Under Construction

As a business owner, you've likely created a hurricane plan... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains in Aerospace & Defense industries ? implementation & customization highlights

Microsoft Great Plains fits horizontal markets clientele and in case... Read More

How Copying the HBO Schedule Can Boost Your Business

I'm not talking about posting the HBO schedule on your... Read More

Pressure Washing Entrepreneurs Can Help With Government NPDES Permits

If you own a pressure washing business one of the... Read More

How To Leverage Your Current Ideas And Products Into Multiple Revenue Streams

Diversify - to make diverse, give variety, to balance, to... Read More

The Power of Strategic Thinking: Creating Meaningful Success

Too much goal setting and strategic planning can leave you... Read More

Will and Vision

Remember Chux? The disposable diaper that took the market by... Read More

ERP Role in Selling Your Mid-size Business ? Microsoft Great Plains and CRM Example

If you own the mid-size business and actively work in... Read More

Restaurant Startup - Part 1: Market Research ? What are Potential Competitors Doing?

The first step in starting a restaurant is proper planning.... Read More

Getting Started with Succession Planning: Part II

Succession planning requires the owner of a small or medium-sized... Read More

Be Like Bill - Think!

Twice a year, Bill Gates goes to a remote island... Read More

The Top 10 Priorities That Guard Your Five-Star Reputation

Making money doesn't make your reputation... your reputation makes you... Read More

Who is Responsible?

While writing an article recently on effective ways to bridge... Read More

Strategic Planning Consulting

Strategic planning and consulting is the strategy roadmap to manage... Read More

For Business Owners Only - You Can?t Be Fired But Neither Can You Quit

The decision to sell, or not to sell your business... Read More

During the election we heard about Ohio?s Economy

Much of what we heard in the mass media about... Read More

Top 10 Tips to Create A Business Plan! (For People Who Hate Business Plans)

One of the key challenges for any business is to... Read More

Business Plan Descriptions of Computer System

Entrepreneurs often give little if any consideration to their computer... Read More

Defining Go for It Business Goals

Many business start-up kits or consultants will tell you one... Read More

3 Ps of Planning - Prepare, Personalize, Pilot

Here's a really simple way to make sure your plans... Read More

Ten Steps To A Great Strategic Plan

Ask a small business owner about their strategic plan and... Read More

Pave the Way to a Successful Strategic Plan

Many very successful business owners may never have had a... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains in Agriculture ? implementation highlights

In this small article we'll concentrate on farmers associations and... Read More

Do You Really Need a Business Plan?

"I don't need a business plan."Neither did Alice in Wonderland."Would... Read More

Five Crucial Components of a Business Plan

The format of a Business Plan is something that has... Read More

Business Plan Financial Projections: Stop Worrying About Being Right...

Business plan financial projections seem daunting because they are so... Read More

Writing Your Business Plan is Actually Storytelling

Storytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in... Read More