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My Business Plan Write Up Experience
By selfemployedblog | April 26, 2007
A couple years ago, I had a passion for juice. I loved freshly made juice so much that I wanted to learn how to open a juice bar in my area. While that was my passion at the moment, I was also still a full-time employee and had big dreams about being my own boss. One thing I knew for certain is that I wouldn’t be able to talk seriously to anyone about the business until I had a business plan to follow.
I decided to search around for how to write a business plan and everything I came across seemed way too long and complicated. I ended up purchasing Palo Alto Business Plan Pro (the version I had at the time was 2005) and it was a good purchase. I’m sure 2007’s version has way more features. The software was great and it guided me through each section of a business plan providing examples and definitions of what I was filling in and why. Once I felt my plan was good enough, I scheduled an appointment with a Score counselor in my area to help review it with me. I can’t say enough about Score. They provide such a needed service for aspiring small business owners.
We met up at the Chamber of Commerce office in my area and he reviewed my plan and told me what needed to be fixed and what additional steps I could take to get the business off the ground. I am not in the juice business now but it was a valuable learning experience. I think sometimes we get so caught up in diving head first into a start-up that we forget to step back and really make a plan for our business.
Business plans are beneficial and you don’t necessarily need to write one up simply to secure financing. Having a business plan to follow can keep you disciplined to meet your long term goals. You can always edit your plan to suit your current needs. A good business plan serves as a guide to help you meet your expectations for your company’s future.
Tags: business plans, business plan software, business planning, business plan example
Topics: Business Resources |