by Rscott Stewart

Created on: May 23, 2008   Last Updated: May 29, 2008

We all know that launching a business without a business plan is like taking a cross-country road trip without a map. If you don't care where you end up, by all means, leave the map home.

But what are you going to put in your business plan?

A cookie-cutter business plan from the Internet or library might be fine if you are starting a cookie cutter business. But if you want to launch a business that sparkles with your own particular drive and vision, don't you think your plan should also?

Oh, by all means, learn about "suggested provisions" in a business plan. You want the art of creating a thriving business to be based on a solid foundation of business science.

Where do you want to be in the next few months? How much do you think you will earn? What kind of expenditures will you incur, how will you finance expenses? Above all, what is the driving philosophy of your business?

All these belong in a good business plan.

But if you are opening up a lunch counter, is your business based on selling as many hamburgers as you can, or is it based on "providing reasonably priced, delicious, nutritious food utilizing the finest ingredients and techniques to provide an appetizing plate in an appealing (name your theme) based setting with the most considerate customer service."

Okay, that last is a little long winded, but if with your business plan you can create a state of mind, chances are you will be able to translate that to your new and growing customer base.

A state of mind?

Yes, you want your business plan to be more than a simple blueprint. You want it to capture the essence of all you want to be.

Do you want to simply "do more sales in February than January," or do you want to "create an environment that customers return to in order to find a tranquil setting in which to compare and choose the finest products in the market?"

You see, your business plan should be something you will constantly refer to and re-read for yourself in order to drive home the type of establishment, product and service you want to offer. It will be doing you no good in a file until it is time to revamp it a year down the line. It will be the beating heart of your new business, as you and your staff will be the soul, if you and your management review your plan continually.

So fold your first twelve months, your first three or five annual sales projections and growth into your business plan. Select intended sources of revenue, profit margins, decreasing debt loads, cash flow estimates. Plan your marketing strategy.

But make sure, above all else, you craft as clearly as possible just what it will be that makes your establishment, your product, your service unique.

You are not, after all, simply handing in an essay.

You are creating the beating heart of your new enterprise. Stamp your soul into it, and have fun with it.

Take the road map on your trip to get to where you are going, but don't forget to leave room for the little side stops that make any journey rich and unique.

You won't regret it.

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