Every creative business owner needs to have a business plan. Don't think you can skip this important step because you offer a service instead of a physical product. Every business can benefit from a simple business plan.

First Step, Focus

When you create a business plan you need to focus on the reasons for the business: Who do you want to serve? What do you want to provide? When do you want to start? Where will you set up shop? Why do you want to start such an endeavor? How will you meld all these things together to create a prosperous business?

These are the primary reasons why you are going into business and they should always be at the forefront of your mind when making decisions. You should always "Start with your WHY."

Something else to focus on is your big dream. How much money do you want to make over the next 5 years? How many hours do you want to spend in your business?  Will you be able to take a yearly vacation? Do you want to sell multiple products or have a specific service that you are known for? Everyone's big dream will be different but you should write it down as part of the plan.

Second Step, A Plan

Think of your business as a mountain. Your mission statement is at the base of the mountain while your big dream is at the peak. Everything in between is what you need to plan and these steps should be incorporated into your yearly business plan.

What products do you want to create? How often do you want to produce a product? How can you implement some passive income or affiliate income into your business? Are there any speaking engagements, conferences or online summit opportunities that will expand your reach and your followers? What can you add to your sales funnel for those not yet ready to commit to your services?

Third Step, Daily Action Steps  

This is where your planning steps are broken down into smaller, actionable steps. Instead of just saying I want to create a website, break the process down further. How much time can you dedicate to working on it each day? Do you want to do it yourself or outsource it to a web designer? What color or fonts will be used? Will you be offering something of value as an opt-in? When do you want to have your website fully online? What personal branding photographs do you need? These are actionable steps that can easily be crossed off your to-do list once completed.

Don't be thrown off here. You don't need to plan 5 years' worth of action steps at one time. The idea is to plan a year at a time, then break the required tasks over the four quarters in that year. This will allow you to quickly make progress in achieving your plan and becomes a pathway or blueprint to working toward your big dreams.

If this seems like a daunting task, we can help! Just send an email to: doug@dougmattice.com and we will set up a time to discuss your business planning and branding needs.