You may point out that you've had a thriving business the past six years without ever having had a business plan. You feel it's an unnecessary exercise wasting time to create one while you could be running the shop.
Let's then consider an analogy of running the best company as fighting for survival in the face of business competition, especially during a recession or the ebb of a business cycle.
This is the reason to connect with Charles Darwin. He stumbled upon an enduring theory that explains why only the fittest survive.
It provides clues to, and reasons for, how and why a business plan helps not only startups, but also longer running businesses.
First, Charles Darwin possessed a passion and an enthusiasm in studying natural history. He was an intense observer of natural phenomena.
You can identify with these traits because that's what got you started on your enterprise—in birthing, living and breathing your company with love and devotion to doing well with, and by, it.
Second, Darwin was a meticulous record keeper in his observations of Mother Nature. His notes and paintings of flora and fauna are priceless.
That's how bookkeeping, record keeping and mental notes of your company's functional operations work in providing operational details.
These are the benchmarks of progress and ultimately, profitability.
Third, Darwin was always looking to discover new knowledge. His desire to excel is synonymous with your desire to run the best company ever, in seeing with new eyes emerging details that are relevant for product integrity and superior customer service.
Fourth, as the owner with a commanding vision of where you want to take your business to, your mission lies in optimizing existing resources.
Resources range from maximizing equipment applications, negotiating best deals with suppliers for your needs, keeping customers happy so they become repeat customers, considering store location when the neighborhood is changing economically and socially, plus myriad other factors.
In other words, you want to be able to imagine all the exciting possibilities of what you can explore and achieve with what's available out there.
Just like Charles Darwin in observing Mother Nature's phenomena and discovering the beauty of interdependent components impacting the larger environment - leading to a survival of the fittest. It's a beautiful goal to imagine a wider scope for continued growth, expansion and progress with a business plan.
That's how and why a business plan helps not only startups, but also running businesses, in continuously fine-tuning and innovating applications. So, let's start by envisioning and developing your business plan
