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Simplified Business Plans for the Real World

By Becky McCray

“It takes just as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” Eleanor Roosevelt

You know you should have a business plan, but you honestly don’t have one. Too hard, too complicated, too much! So let go of the old idea, and draw up something simple for your own use. Make it something that tells you where you are going and how you are doing.

To help plan your marketing, read Simplified Marketing Plans for the Real World and Simplified Online Marketing.

Creating a Simple Business Plan

Let’s start with a simplified outline.

Section 1: Your Business
Talk about your business. Sometimes just doing a little explaining can help you clarify your ideas or even spot potential trouble.

  1. Describe your business.
  2. Tell about the market and competition.
  3. What makes you unique or special?
  4. What are your business goals? (We’ll talk more about setting good goals, later.)
  5. List special training and skills, or include your résumé.

Section 2: Financial Data
You don’t need your accountant for this. Let’s start with records you already have. Then we’ll add some guesses about the future.

  1. Include past tax returns for historical data.
  2. Include a list of your business assets.
  3. Create projections to reach your goals. (Make sure that your projections really point you towards your goals, from above.)

Section 3: Supporting Documents
Think about what helps set your credibility. That’s what you want to include here.

  1. Letters of reference.
  2. Contracts, letters of intent, or other legal documents.
  3. Certifications, etc.

Goals are the Basis of Plans

  1. Where are you now? Be honest.
  2. Where do you want to be? Set your goals.
  3. Plan backwards, step by step. Look at the intermediate steps to lead you there.
  4. Find the steps you can take tomorrow. Take action immediately! As soon as possible! There is always something you can do now to move you forward.

Setting Good Goals
You have probably heard the term “SMART” applied to setting goals. Let’s go through my version of SMART.

  • Specific: Not just “grow my business”. Grow how? Broader product lines? More employees?
  • Measurable: Set dollar and other measurable milestones.
  • Action: Tell what specific actions you will take to reach the goal. Will you add new product? Work with a consultant? Hire a marketer? Spend more time?
  • Reachable: Don’t over-reach with goals. Dreams are great, but keep them separate from goals.
  • Time-bound: Include deadlines, checkpoints and other ways to be sure that you are on schedule.

With a simplified business plan, you can evaluate where you are, where you are going and how you are doing. So with such a simple outline, what’s your excuse now?

(c) 2000, 2006 by Becky McCray


  • About the Author
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About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
  • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
  • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
  • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
  • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
  • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
  • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
  • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
  • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020

March 13, 2006 Filed Under: Best of, entrepreneurship, planning

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Comments

  1. masterplans says

    March 18, 2006 at 12:38 am

    Hey, great post! Very succinct and a quality resource for compiling a business plan for internal purposes. We have been looking for resources to send our clients to and simple posts like this make good materials. Thanks!

  2. Becky McCray says

    March 18, 2006 at 6:03 pm

    Thank you, Masterplans. I wrote it for a workshop I did a long time ago, and it has been gathering virtual dust since 2000. I’m glad I’ve found a way to share something useful with a wider audience.

  3. Becky McCray says

    March 20, 2006 at 8:03 pm

    Carnival of the Capitalists Featured Post!

    Welcome, Carnival visitors! Be neighborly and leave a comment!

Trackbacks

  1. The 3 Point Business Plan says:
    April 22, 2013 at 2:11 am

    […] Simplified business plans are a specialty here, and I’ve found another simple outline to share. […]

  2. Resource: Small Business Ideas for Small Towns says:
    May 3, 2013 at 1:03 am

    […] you have your idea, you can start on the really hard work of fleshing it out with planning, marketing, and making it work. Here’s to your […]

  3. Best of Small Biz Survival says:
    May 8, 2013 at 3:51 am

    […] Simplified business plans, marketing plans and online marketing […]

  4. Podcast: Focus says:
    May 10, 2013 at 5:19 am

    […] you want from your business. How do you want it to look in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years? (See Simplified Business Plans for the Real World for some […]

  5. Resource: Avoiding new business stumbling blocks says:
    May 10, 2013 at 8:21 am

    […] Simplified business plans for the real world […]

  6. Focus says:
    May 16, 2013 at 4:29 am

    […] you want from your business. How do you want it to look in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years? (See Simplified Business Plans for the Real World for some […]

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