Your business plan is your map to a new world -- and if you end up in a different spot than you anticipated, it’s okay, so long as it’s successful.
The methods for attaining your business goals, and the time-frame for the achievement of those goals must be formal written and documented.
All businesses should have a business plan because it is an essential document that provides a description and overview of your company's future.
Think of Christopher Columbus. Do you think he stocked up his ship, got funding from the monarch, and rounded up a crew without some sort of plan? No. He certainly had a plan. And though he set out to find a westward route to asia by sea and found the Americas, the important thing is that he started with a plan.
The business plan must describe the firm's products or services as well as how it earns (or will earn) money. A good business plan also includes the leadership and staffing.
Make sure your business plan goes through scenarios of finance, HR, unexpected hurdles, etc. Your business plan should be anywhere from 20 to 50 pages.
Tip: You can easily find business plan templates online, in Microsoft Word, or take an inexpensive class to write a top-notch plan.
When it comes to the marketing strategy of your plan, do not forget to include blogging and social media.
Blogging - Blogging is a huge tool for you. If you’re writing even one to two posts a week which address your customers’ concerns and provide them with solutions, along with showing them how and why your business is that solution, you’ll see a lot of new customers will find you. Never underestimate the power of blogging.
Social Media - You’ve got to admit, social media has not just been on the rise in the past five years, it has completely, single-handedly taken over the world as we know it. What does that mean for your and your new small business? Jump on the bandwagon. Use social media often to advertise, promote, and keep up with your beloved customers.
