"Nothing
was ever achieved without enthusiasm.'"
Ralph Waldo
Emerson, poet
Writing A
Business Plan:
THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR SMALL STARTUP
TAKES ADVANTAGE OF YOUR NIMBLE SIZE
A business plan for a small startup has
nearly all the considerations of larger business, just in smaller scale.
No kidding. You've still got research, marketing, financing issues,
etc.
Then you've got something that big
businesses haven't got: flexibility. You just don't know how
important this is until you haven't got it.
Start a Tutoring Business. One of our most popular titles
ever. Great business, especially for working from home.
Upside potential is very high.
Start a cleaning business. Clean buildings, clean cars, clean
houses, clean air ducts. There's a lot of stuff that needs
cleaning, and you can be there!
KEY CONSIDERATION
Let's start at the beginning. Why are
you starting this business? Do you want a small business, or are you
just starting small? There's a big difference. If you want a
small business, that's fine. If you are planning on a big business
down the road a bit, well, that's a different issue. The mind set is
really different for the two scenarios.
For the purposes of this discussion, I'm
going to assume that you really want a small business, just like the
millions of small businesses that already exist successfully. If you
truly want a mid-size or big business, check out some our other
business plans for start up businesses.
STRONGEST ADVANTAGE TO A
SMALL BUSINESS
You call the shots. You decide what
the business will be, and how it will be operated.
Start a Trucking Business. Getting stuff from Point A to Point
B, no matter whether than is five miles or five thousand miles, is
an important part of our commerce, and is likely to remain so for
quite some time.
Start a Recruiting Business. Use your industry knowledge to get
businesses up and running in a hurry. Growing businesses don't
have time to wait!
STRONGEST DISADVANTAGE IN A BUSINESS PLAN FOR
SMALL STARTUP
Succession Issue. As a small
company, ensuring succession in the event you are incapacitated is a touchy
issue. But it is a real issue.
Skills Issue. As a small
company, each person needs to possess a lot of skills. You don't have
a Human Resources Department. Or a Strategic Development
Division. Or an Advertising and Public Relations Department.
You're IT.
OVERCOMING THE DISADVANTAGES WITH
YOUR BUSINESS PLAN FOR SMALL STARTUP
Use Your Business Plan for Small Startup to
Examine Your Business Skills
Your business plan will need to answer a
lot of questions, such as:
Where is your marketing skill?
How did you get industry skill?
How will you "fill in" those
spots where you are missing experience?
How will you get clients?
Who handles the business if you get
sick?
How much equipment will you need?
What is the value of that equipment?
What makes you think you can succeed?
... and on and on. The 7 STEP
BUSINESS PLAN FOR SMALL STARTUP will walk you through all the major
decisions you need to make to ensure that you get started right.
You will look at issues that you probably
haven't considered, and you will look at solutions too.
Use Your Business Plan for Small Startup to
Best Use the Skills of Your Advisors
First, discover how to locate the best
accountant and the best banker for your business, with full checklists of
what you should ask them.
Then discover how to use the skills that
these professionals possess.
Before you know it, you will have a whole
truckload full of support from all over.
Use Your Business Plan for Small Startup to
Help You Really Succeed
Everyone says you need a business plan.
Few people can tell you what that really is.
Well, here it is. It is YOUR workbook
to work through the issues dealing with YOUR business. No one else's.
No "theoretical" business. YOUR business. YOUR way.
With YOUR skills, those of YOUR ADVISORS,
and OURS -- well, we can build a pretty impressive business.
