Quite often a business will operate without a business plan. This is nuts!

Even pirates knew that in order to find buried treasure you needed a map! Have you drawn up a map? What does it look like?

You don't need a five-volume masterpiece with artistic designs and photos of all your staff.

I'm talking about a five page (at the most), well-spaced, list of what your business is trying to achieve - and a timeframe to achieve it. This plan will be your blueprint for success. Follow it and you are sure to get what you planned for. Disregard the map and you may well lose your way.

Some people argue that they're too busy making money to plan. Or they say that their business is running very well without a plan. While I can see their point, thinking like this is a good indication that they are spending too much time working in the business, rather than on it.

Your business should make more money when you're not there.

A good indication of whether your business is going well is for you to take a holiday. If you return to chaos then you have some serious work to do.

On the other hand, if you return and the business has run smoothly in your absence then you are doing well. How do you start making a plan? My six-step process is:

1. Work out what your personal goals are for running a business (see Tip 1)
2. Write down ten things that you would like to change about your business. They could be comments about sales, relationships with staff and customers, returns that you are making - anything so long as you are honest.
3. Now prioritize the list you have made in (2) above based on which changes will make you the most money.
4. Take the first three on your prioritized list and map out a detailed list of all the steps that are necessary to implement those changes. Think of each step as a milestone.
5. Work out a time frame for implementing each milestone. Work out how you are going to measure your success.
6. Most importantly, take action.

Steps For Immediate Results

1. Consider joining the Inner Circle and use the "business planning kit" to begin planning your business.
   
   
2. Sometimes starting a business plan is the most difficult step in the whole process. Reread Tip 1 and use the reasons why you're in business as your starting point.