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You wouldn't jump off a cliff unless you thought you had a reasonable chance of not falling to your death. Yet entrepreneurs do it everyday.
Some days I really wonder what entrepreneurs are thinking. They want to start a business and need money. They are told that they need a business plan and go online looking for solution. A free, cheap, and easy solution. They are going to invest and borrow thousands of dollars and are in a hurry to get going. Look before you leap!
Often they buy software like Business Plan Pro or search for someone to write the business plan for them. When they call me they want me to write it for them and just pay me. Except the do not want someone to actually make money doing it.
I hear all kinds of reasons including:
- "There are so many questions, I get confused."
- "I do not understand accounting."
- "I know what I am going to do to start my business I just need someone to get my thoughts down on paper."
There seems to be a psychological barrier to writing and planning.
I can remember when I had a similar disconnect and reluctance. It took many failures, missteps, and screw-ups for me to realize the value of investing time, energy, and money in planning.
Whether you study sports, business, religion or science, the pattern is clear?? success in any arena requires the consistent application of basic fundamentals, knowledge and effort. Anyone who has accomplished great things has achieved the results at a price. Their achievements were paid for with the currency of dedication and consistency.
The biggest factor in achieving an objective is not goal setting. While it is important to have clear, measurable and realistic goals, there is another factor, which is even more important.
Identify The Results You Want To Achieve: Wait a minute. Don't goals and results sound the similar? Actually, they are similar, but I want to share a distinction I have observed.
Goals are a subset of the type of result you want to achieve. If you change the result – your goals must change. The biggest mistake I have made is defining my goals before I was clear about what result I wanted. This is like beginning to drive my car before deciding where I want to go.
Is it Time for a New Model?
Perhaps it is time to start thinking about approaching planning from a different perspective. Check out my guide "7 Steps To Achieving the Results You Want" that will help you get clear, really clear about what it will take to make what you want appear and increase your motivation.
Share your challenges writing a business plan. How can this website improve to meet your needs?
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