A couple of months ago Brandon, Dave and Ryan went to the Smart Start series at the Small Business Development Center. I wasn't able to go on that date, but will be attending the series next month. It seemed like a great resource as, over the course of two days, entrepreneuers are given information about business plans, tax information, marketing information and more. It would have been well worth the $40 just for that session, however attending this series allows us to have free counseling whenever we need it from here on out! It's an absolutely wonderful idea that has no doubt helped many small businesses in Iowa get off the ground and stay off the ground! One of the unique aspects about this series is that it puts you in touch with the actual firms and professionals you will need to partner with (attorneys, accountants, etc.). So, not only do you get great information, you get to pick the brains of people who have been through this with other businesses many times over!
Our counselor is Greg Saboe, President of Strategies Plus, Inc (follow him on Twitter at @gsaboe). Strategies Plus is a company that specializes in management and marketing issues for small businesses. His bio lists a wealth of work experience, including being an adjunct instructor at DMACC. We are very happy to have his assistance with our little venture!
Anyway, we finally got our business plan to the point that we were comfortable showing it to someone. We all worked on different sections and Ryan pieced them all together a few days before our meeting. Going into it, I was worried that it would look like a hastily written 8th grade essay...covered in red ink from beginning to end. Thankfully there was no red ink in sight! There was, however, a little yellow highlighter and black ink...but I can deal with that! He gave us some great ideas for bettering our plan as well as some ideas to help us nail down a solid name for our yet-to-be-named business!
Looking at the suggestions Greg had for us will definitely help us maintain momentum as we move through the planning process. It has been very easy to get bogged down in working on a document that very few people will ever see! However, its importance can't be understated. This is laying the groundwork for our business and if the foundation isn't solid...how can we expect the end result to be? Not only will this help us maintain our momentum, it will likely force us to think about various problems from a different angle which could ultimately lead to a solution! Since each portion of the plan is integral to the rest, working on one section can seem completely separate from an issue in another, but while working through it we can see how they link together and how they both depend on each other and support each other.
Anyway, our living document has been born and even though it isn't fully developed and has a lot of rough edges, it is great to really have something that we could give to someone and prove we haven't simply been just getting together, dreaming and having a beer! There is a plan! Now it is time to nurture it and coax it into a healthy being that will support all of the work that we have yet to begin!
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