Chapter 2

Rethinking Your Business Plan

Business plans are a great section in the science fiction genre. They are made for the kind of people who like sausages and don't know how they are made.

—Yossi Vardi, investor and entrepreneur

Ah, the business plan. One of the most discussed—and most misunderstood—facets of starting a company. It also can stop a would-be entrepreneur in his or her tracks. Just the thought of creating a 50- to 100-page document with facts, figures, and graphs supported by polished, important-sounding text—along with all of the other “necessary” elements of a formal business plan—can overwhelm anyone. It is tragic to think of all the great business ideas that are surely out there in people's minds that will never see the light of day because their creators think they need to write a long, complicated business plan before they can do anything else.

Would-be entrepreneurs who feel that they need a formal business plan do have options. They can research information on how to create one, and try to do it themselves. However, many people are much better at devising and implementing ideas than they are at generating documents. The mere thought of having to write a formal business plan can be completely uninspiring for anyone who is excited about building a business, but not necessarily thrilled about writing about it.

Another option is to pay someone else to write your business plan. This is actually a great alternative, as long as you choose wisely when deciding ...

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