How to start a one page business plan

How do you get started with a fresh business plan? You don't need to start with a blank page. The Business Minder has put together a simple and easy 'Business Plan' formula that answers this question. This was created in the early days and for my consulting clients as we moved forward together. I would like to go ahead and share this with you today...

I don’t know about you, but when I started trying to figure out how to work for myself, the idea of a “business plan” was rather overwhelming. The traditional books for business painted a picture that wasn’t really relevant to many of our start up friends, with things like lines of credit and office space and a business license. Those weren’t the problems we needed to figure out. The problems were more like, “How am I going to sell it. What should I be selling anyway?”

Solution: An easy way to get all those thoughts and ideas out is to use post it notes. Sort the notes into the groups outlined below after the brainstorming is complete.

Just cut and paste what is shown below in your pc and get rolling. The main thing is to get some answers down today. I promise, if you do, you’ll be amazed at what this can do to get you moving toward your business goals.

Solving a Customer's Problem

Who is the right customer or target audience?

Target market and how many customers do you think are out there?

Answer this question in as much detail as you can.

How will these customers find me?

Customer will find me by.... Alternately, I will go find them by ...

Your business solution

What will your business look like?

What form does the thing take that you give your customer?

What problem does this business solve for the customer?

Is it a real problem? Does anyone care about getting this problem solved?

What competitive advantage do you have?

What people, tools and materials do you need to get this marketable?

Will you use any software? An awesome website theme? Other technology tools? Do you need a copywriter, graphic designer, website developer? Do you need a management team?

Market Research

Do you need to do additional research on your business model? Could you interview some experts for additional material?

Is there any way to create a really fast business model?

How could you do a “good enough” version to test that this is actually a marketable concept?

What partners will you involve in this project? Why?

Marketing partners? Business partners? Funding?

How will you share revenue between partners

This can be different for different financial items. Advertising could be split differently than fees for services, for example.

How can I get moral support outside of the partnership?

Starting a business is hard. It’s easy to give up. Can you join a really great entrepreneur’s group? Work with a coach? Put together a small mastermind or accountability group?

Some things this business will need to offer

.......

.......

.......

How do I make money?

.......

.......

What other stuff could I sell these customers later?

.......

.......

Expenses

If there are partners, who pays these expenses in the launch process before we have revenue coming in? Are these one-time or recurring?

Execution

Who will do the work? Who’s going to manage the business and make sure the tasks get done? How long will it take?

How will you know it’s working?

If the business is a magnificent success, what will that look like? (Answer this one in as much detail as you can.)

What do you need to worry about?

What’s going to be a problem if we don’t address it now? What do we need to worry about down the line?

Next actions

What do you need to do next to get yourself moving forward?

Your one page business plan may be your introductory communication with investors, so it will be your first impression. Investors will use this document to get an understanding of your communication skills as well as your ability to think critically about your business.

Having trouble putting it all together? Feeling a little overwhelmed, or feel like maybe you’ll never be able to make it happen? That’s a sure sign you’re on the right track. Or at least, it’s a sign that you’re exactly like the rest of us. A certain amount of overwhelm just goes with the territory. The good news is, if you need help The Business Minder is here. Have fun getting started.