Before a contractor begins to build a house or a building, there are detailed blueprints drawn that are inspected with a "fine tooth comb.
" Every detail is thoroughly and carefully studied.
The same should be true for a business.
Whether a start up or an existing business, every detail must be considered.
Like Building a House Let's take the analogy of building a house.
The size of the house, the shape of the structure, the style and color scheme, the size of each room, the number of rooms, the traffic flow through the entire house, the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, molding, style of doors, and on and on must be addressed.
If the house plans have never been used before, each and every detail must be looked at and decided upon piece by piece.
Now that you have the goals for your new business set firmly in your mind and on paper (see my last article), it's time to formulate the business plan.
This is where you try to address each and every detail of the business and be sure that you cover everything so there are fewer surprises as things progress.
Writing Your Business Plan There are many organizations out there, some free and some not, that will help you write your business plan.
Some will even do it for you.
YOU need to do as much of the preparation and work as possible.
After all, it is YOU that will sign your name to a lease or a loan document or the check to purchase inventory.
You may need help with some aspects of the plan, like financial information or marketing strategy, but YOU must go through this exercise so YOU will know it in detail and have the greatest possibility of success.
Throughout the Nation an organization called SCORE has templates and volunteers to help you get through this process.
They offer workshops and one-on-one counseling to help.
You can reach them by going to their website http://www.
score.
org/.
This organization is an adjunct to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and in many locations is housed in the same offices as the SBA.
Their services are generally at no cost.
Sometimes they will charge $25 to $40 to attend workshops, however many are free of charge.
There are almost endless other ways to find business plan templates.
The internet is loaded with them.
Again, some are free and some you will have to purchase.
Free, sounds good to me.
In my next article I will go through a general outline of a business plan.
Not every business plan is the same.
The type of business being planned will dictate what is needed and what is not necessary.
Until next time, refine your business goals and begin to research things like competition in your area, the cost of labor and materials, accounting systems, what kind of legal organization you want to use and as other details that you can think of and do your research.