Did You Plan Or Did You Jump? Creating A Business Plan
Creating A Business Plan
A business plan plays a crucial role in the success or failure of your business. It is designed as a means of setting specific long term goals and mapping out a plan to achieve those goals over a set period of time.
- Be sure to take some time to chart your course.
- Set short and long-term goals.
- Know where you want to be in your business over the next 5 years.
- Weekly goals are the most important in the beginning.
- Decide how many hours per week you want to work.
- Decide how many hours per week you can work realistically.
- Set a schedule and stick to it!
- Keep a record and track your activity against your schedule and your goals.
- Find ways to stay motivated.. .you don’t have a boss anymore.
- Treat your business like a business!
Important First Steps
- Do your homework.
- Check out your attitude – why & how.
- Prepare yourself financially.
- Prepare a solid business plan
- Prepare your work space – phone,fax,computer,files,etc.
- Get business cards.
- Network, network, network!
Decisions To Make
- Will you register a company or not?
- When will you begin publishing?
- Printing – who,where,how much?
- Will you or someone else do the design and layout?
- What brochures, rate cards, and sample issues will you need?
- How much should you charge for ads?
- Will you give discounts?
- How will you invoice customers?
- What method of payment will you offer your advertisers?
- Will you accept credit cards?
- Will you sell double ads?
- Should you barter for ads?
- How will you rotate the ads in the publication?
- Should you list restaurants where Coffee News can be found?
- Will you run / partake in competitions?
