Ann Zuccardy - Vermont Shortbread Company
| |
This is great and timely information. I've been operating without a biz plan for many years. That's fine for awhile, but there comes a time, especially if you want to apply for loans and want to grow the biz into something BIG, that a business plan is essential.
You might also want to add to this discussion that there are lots of FREE resources for support on writing your business plan. SBA (Small Business Association), SCORE (www.score.org), various community action groups are just a few of the national programs I can think of. Your community may have more. Even in the backwoods of Vermont we have some fantastic resources for small business owners.
I would also recommend that you NOT use the packaged software that helps you write a business plan. Yes, it provides a good outline, but why pay for it if you can get help for free? Also, I'm told that lenders can always recognize biz plans that have been prepared using canned software and they sometimes interpret that negatively. Personally, I want something that I customize for me and my business needs. Anyone else have a take on this topic?
For me the prose parts of the plan are easy. It's those darned financial pieces I have trouble with! Thankfully, I've found lots of great support on the parts that aren't my strengths. Bottom line is - you don't have to be an expert at everything, but you have to understand the big picture and know how to ask good questions.
Ann Zuccardy
www.vermontshortblog.comPrivate Reply to Ann Zuccardy - Vermont Shortbread Company (new win) |
