Having a great idea is one thing but what to do with it is another. Have you ever had a great idea and never acted on it just to find out years later the idea you had was acted upon by someone else who had the same idea and is now successful? I've had that happen one too many times. If I had only acted on that idea but how? What? When? Where? Who? I've come to realize that there is no right answer or right way to go about it. The right thing to do is just start, start somewhere, anywhere....but just start. I knew I had to write a business plan if I was going to ask others to invest in my idea. Business plans can be overwhelming and ask for lots of detailed information, information that I just didn't know or have. I decided I would just create a one page business plan with my idea, what it would provide, what the site would look like, how it would function, and how it was different than what's already out there. What started out as one page grew into a four page business plan. The key here is just to start, start with one single step, one page business plan, just to get the wheels in motion. I was surprised once I started writing how many more ideas and thoughts began to come to me. I also began to ask myself more questions and therefore came up with more answers which lead to a more detailed business plan. Here are the subtitles I included in my business plan:
Business Description
Industry & Market Description
Business Application
Company History
Company Services
Marketing
Management Team
Projections
Funding
Funding History
Exit Strategy
There is lots more that could be added to this but for now this will do. It's a good starting point and initial road map down the million dollar road. I will add to it and change it as needed along the way. Writing down ideas is a powerful tool and I believe a must for success. Don't just take it from me though, check it out!
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