Last week I discussed the importance of putting your vision down on paper. Several readers wrote that once they started reading their vision every day, things started to fall into place. They started noticing articles on their topic, started meeting people that would help them to achieve their goals, and started hearing of companies that needed their services.

 

Once you have your vision down on paper, it's important to "flesh" your idea out a bit more. Many people use a business plan to help them from spinning out of control and help them know which direction to aim your actions.  

 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an excellent resource for information on starting up your business. The SBA was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to help Americans start, build and grow businesses. Go to www.sba.org (click on small business planner) and you'll find information as well as free online courses.
 
Another resource for starting your business is SCORE, a resource partner that provides mentoring and training for entrepreneurs. Information on how to request a mentor plus low cost courses can be found at www.score.org. Search to see what (free) mentors and programs are available in your local area. There's a template for a detailed business plan at the site. While a less detailed business plan might be perfectly adequate for your business, the more information you have in writing, the better.

 

Any questions? Please send them my way and I'll try to answer them in a future newsletter!