You Do NOT Need a Business Plan to Start a Business

Doug Richard is not a fan of iron-clad business plans that owners and management teams follow to the bitter end.

Why? Because business plans are most often written before a company is successful, and often before it is in business.  They are written in hopeful ignorance and are based on best guesses.  Business plans serve a useful purpose once a business is making money and raising revenue, but they have a very limited usefulness, if any at all, before a business is up to speed.

If you are just starting your business, or have a business that seems to be less than wildly successful, start your business planning as follows:

• Identify your customers and their needs.
• Identify the products and/or services you will provide to meet these needs.
• Identify how people will learn about your products and services.
• Identify how and where they will pay you for your products and services.
• Identify who will help you to achieve these objectives.

Read full article: http://www.businesszone.co.uk/blogs/doug-richard/doug-richard-blogs/you-do-not-need-business-plan-start-business

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