Businesses of every type, including solopreneurs and coaches, need a business plan. Don’t think you can skip by on this important step because you offer a service instead of a physical product. Every business can benefit from a business plan.
When you create a business plan you need to focus on the reasons for the business:
These are the primary reasons why you’re going into business and they should always be at the forefront of your mind when making decisions. They will help to create clarity in your business.
Something else to focus on is your big dream. How much money do you want to make over the next 5 years? Do you want to sell multiple products or have several locations? Everyone’s big dream will be different, but you should write it down as part of the plan.
Think of your business plan as a mountain. Your mission statement is at the base of the mountain while your big dream is at the peak. Everything in between is what you need to plan and these steps should also be incorporated into a business plan.
This is where your planning steps are broken down into smaller, actionable steps. Set S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Realistic, Time-bound) goals. Instead of just saying I want to write a book, break the process down further. E.g. How much time can you dedicate each day to writing? Do you want to self-publish or find a publisher? You’ll need to hire an editor and someone to design the cover.
These are actionable steps that can easily be crossed off your to do list once completed. Don’t be thrown off here. You don’t need to plan an elaborate 5 years’ worth of action steps at one time. The idea is to plan a year at a time, keeping your focus in mind, so that the action steps become a pathway or a blueprint to your big dreams.
If writing your business plan seems like a daunting task, you can outsource the service to us.
We will help craft your brand messaging, product and service, financial projections and more.
Contact us for a business planning quote: louisam@obss.co.za