National Write A Business Plan Month? More Like National Put Off Writing A Business Plan Month!

Ah, December. The time of year when the days get shorter, the temperatures drop, and we are all wrapped up in the holiday spirit. A time for family, friends and business plans! Every, December, entrepreneurs all over the globe come together to celebrate a very special holiday. No, it’s not Christmas – it’s National Write A Business Plan Month! That’s right folks, it's that time of the year when all of us entrepreneurs pull out our pens, paper and laptops and get ready to write business plans and drafting strategies for success for the upcoming year.?

Don't get me wrong. Writing a business plan is an important part of starting or running any successful business—but do we really need a whole month dedicated to it? Ugh...the thought makes me want to pull the covers over my head and pretend it's not happening. But alas, here we are.?

So, let's talk about why writing a business plan is so important. Why should you take the time out of your busy schedule to write a business plan? Is there really any point in writing a business plan?

Let’s start with understanding why having an effective business plan is so important. The creation of your business plan should be thought of as an opportunity to explore every aspect of what it will take to launch or grow your business. Writing out your ideas into a comprehensive document forces you to think through every step of starting and running your company in great detail - something that often gets overlooked by entrepreneurs who jump in without planning ahead first.?

It's also important to remember that there's no such thing as a perfect business plan; think of it as an ongoing document that will evolve as you learn more about running your own company and make changes accordingly.? (Done is better than Perfect!)

A business plan isn’t just something you have to do because someone told you to. It’s actually an incredibly useful document that can help you refine your ideas and goals for your business as well as provide clarity on how to achieve them. Writing a business plan isn't exactly fun or exciting (unless you're one of those weird people who actually enjoys this kind of thing). Most of us would rather be doing almost anything else than sitting down and crunching numbers or agonizing over perfectly crafted words that will make us look good in front of our team.?

The Realities of Business Planning?

Let's face it—business planning isn't easy. It can be daunting and overwhelming for many entrepreneurs. But it doesn't have to be so hard! With the right resources, you can make sure you're setting yourself up for success from day one. That includes researching your competitors, understanding the market you're entering, and creating an actionable strategy that outlines how you'll reach your goals with measurable steps along the way. It might sound intimidating, but with the right approach it can become totally manageable (and even enjoyable!). Promise!

The Benefits of Writing a Business Plan?

A business plan is an essential part of starting a business. It helps structure your ideas and identify potential issues before you invest time and money into launching your venture. Writing a business plan can help you determine the feasibility of your new business, assess its financial viability, and provide clarity on what success will look like — all important factors when making decisions about how best to move forward. Additionally, having an up-to-date business plan can be invaluable when seeking funding from investors or lenders. ? ?

It Enables You To Be Prepared?

If you don’t have a business plan in place, it’s like flying blind. Sure, you may stumble on success here or there without one but having a written plan will help keep you focused and on track. Plus, if something unexpected arises (and trust me it will), having your plans laid out in front of you helps you make quick decisions and pivot quickly.?

It Helps You Assess Your Resources or Needs?

Writing a business plan can help ensure that you are utilizing all available resources. This includes time management – if things aren’t going as planned with one aspect of your venture, do you have enough time to get back on track? Is a project pulling you into all kinds of directions and hiring or outsourcing a better use of your time? What about financial resources? Do you have enough capital to finance this project or do need to work on adding new lines of business for additional funding? Having a well-thought-out written plan helps answer these questions before they become an issue!?

It Helps You Identify Opportunities & Weaknesses?

Having all aspects of your venture laid out in front of you makes it easier to identify opportunities for growth as well as areas that could use improvement. Writing out each step allows you to reflect on what worked and what didn’t so that future iterations are better than the last. It also gives you an opportunity to see how certain ideas could affect other areas of your venture – something which can easily get overlooked when everything is in your head!?

Writing a business plan isn't a task to be taken lightly—it takes time, energy, and commitment to get it done right.?

National Write A Business Plan Month may not be as exciting as some other holidays but don’t let it drag you down; it serves an important purpose nonetheless.?

Writing out a business plan is not only important for running your day-to-day operations; it also provides insight into how successful (or unsuccessful) certain decisions were and can help guide future ventures.

It is an essential part of business that requires research, strategy building, and with the way we teach you how to build a business plan; with not a lot of paperwork (not necessarily in that order) —and let’s face it, we could all use some preparation these days!?

So, take this month as an opportunity to brush up on your planning skills and refine your strategy for success. Now is the perfect time to get started on crafting that perfect document that will propel your dreams forward into reality! Don’t let this opportunity pass by - grab a cup of coffee or tea and hunker down with us as we embark on this exciting journey together into the world of entrepreneurship!??

It’s time to roll up your sleeves, put on your thinking cap, and write out a business plan for 2023. Sounds like fun, right? Ugh...I think I'd rather just curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and watch Love Actually again.

Good luck and happy planning!