Business Plan Lesson 10: Closing Thoughts
This is the last post in a series on how to write a business plan. If you are just joing us for the first time, you can still see all the posts sign up for the Free Weekly Business Planning Series and recieve a blank business outline too!
As you finish your business plan draft, remember, it doesn’t matter how simple or complex your business plan is. The process, not the finished product, is what’s important.
A good business plan is never finished. The best business plans are not beautifully bound documents gathering dust on a shelf. They are tattered and smudgy from frequent use as a roadmap, showing where a business is going and how it plans to get there.
Your business plan is an annual process, beginning with a review of what you accomplished in the previous year. Did you miss, meet, or exceed your goals? Were your systems sufficient? Did you correctly anticipate market trends and competitor activities?
Once you have completed your assessment of the past, it is time to look forward. Reevaluate your answers to each question, revising as necessary for the coming year.
Your Final Assignment
Put an appointment on your calendar for one year from today for a business plan review. Schedule 1/2 day, in a quiet place, away from the office, cell phone and email. And review your plan. Answer the questions listed above, and plan the next year.
And before your go, I would love to hear what you thought about the process please share your feedback below
