Your Business Plan: 9 Places to Look for a Fantastic Business Plan

There you have it. That blank screen with the small blinking line in the corner. And everything appears to be so bland.

Jakes Bakery will be serving the most delicious cakes in the area. (Yawn.)

I conducted extensive research into the industry and discovered that it is entirely fail-proof. (Yawn.)

The group of us came together to form a successful business. (Yawn.)

It’s a little like saying, “Hey, what’s your sign?” Of course, everyone is aware of the reason for their presence, but can’t I come up with a better opening line?

Even the most prolific writers suffer from “blank screen syndrome.” As a starting point for getting your business plan back on track, here are some places to look for inspiration for your new venture.

1. The websites of your competitors. Seriously. Someone invested a significant amount of time and effort into those websites. What do the headlines say about the situation? Does your business plan concept contain a clever turn of phrase that you could use in your marketing materials?

2. Commercials for the industry. Who better to have on your side than a group of advertising executives from Madison Avenue? Here, real professionals have been hard at work. They had to condense a lot of information into a few lines or a couple of catchy phrases. Examine the pages of your industry publications for gems that you can pick out of the pages.

3. Having your own “Aha!” moment. When was it that you just knew, without a doubt, that your business was going to become a success? When was the exact moment when you realised you had truly grasped the essence of the concept? Please take a picture of that moment and put it on paper. It may attract a few investors as well.

4. A video of your favourite comic book character. You may not have any good lines to use, but you will be amazed at how laughter allows your creative nature to come to the surface.

5. Typing while blindfolded. A friend swears by this, but I haven’t had much luck with it myself. Close your eyes, or turn off the computer monitor if you have one. Then you can start typing. For about ten minutes, type anything, and everything you can think of has anything to do with your business. Could you take a look at it after ten minutes? What was it about the material you wrote that you felt was so vital that you had no choice but to put it down on paper? If it was that important, there’s a good chance you’ve discovered your key idea.

6. Tell a storey about yourself. Take your favourite aunt or uncle, imagine them, and tell them about your company’s beginnings and growth. What you tell them is most likely what you will need to tell the investor, so be thorough.

7. Don’t bother with the introduction. Occasionally, it is preferable to write the first section last. Navigate to the biographical information, the industry information, or the financials section of the website. Follow your instincts and go where you feel the most drawn. The area with the most significant attraction is almost certainly the area where you will need to promote the most in any case.

8. Take some time to meditate. Consider visualising the finished business plan in front of you if you are skilled at visual meditation. Then, take a look inside and see what you find. (I would not recommend this for people just starting with meditation.)

9. Prepare for disaster by putting yourself in crisis mode. Take, for example, the scenario in which a natural disaster of some sort is about to strike, such as a hurricane or an earthquake. What would you save if you had the chance to save only one aspect of your company? If it is your patent, this is most likely the essential part of the document. If it’s your Director of Marketing, that’s fine with me. Decide on why that particular piece is so important; this may be what your introduction should centre around.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to begin a project. There is only one way forward. Every business plan follows its own written path, which is unique. Yours is included as well.