Business Plan

As you begin to make decisions about becoming an entrepreneur, you will want to think about setting the goals that will help sustain your drive and vision.  Remember, a lot of successful businessmen do not remain stagnant.  In fact starting up and running a business involves continuous learning.  A lot of this learning occurs from mistakes that you will make along the way and some mistakes you will inadvertently repeat.  Other lessons are learned from interactions you have with friends, fellow business owners and customers. 

Some of the goals you may set for yourself and your business may involve how much money you'll earn as the owner and how much money your company will make every year.  You'll also want to set the number of hours you will work each week and how many hours should be spent uninterrupted with your family.  You'll also want to forecast how many employees you'll have, the number of customers you'll do business with in your first years and the speed at which your company can comfortably grow.  It will also be nice to set your age when you will retire to your very own island. 

Writing your goals on paper actually helps you reach these goals.  Once they are written down, you can always refer to them on a regular basis to help you keep track of your own program or change them as the situation calls for it.  It also helps your staff stay focused on the truly important things for your company.  As you begin your life as a businessman, writing down your goals becomes a top priority. 

As you start setting goals, you will have to be as specific as possible.  A lot of people simply want "a decent living", but this is too vague.  Instead, write down the exact amount you want to take in profits from your first and second years in business.  The more specific you are, the easier it will become to design a plan that reaches these goals.  For example, you can plan several ways to earn $50,000.  You can now calculate the number of customers you will need to buy from you as well is how many employees you'll need to hire to make the number of products you need to sell. 

But what does it mean if you don't meet the goal?  That will depend on how much you're off.  If you exceed your goals, congratulate yourself.  If you are a little behind profits before tax, then at least you still took home some money and you are doing something on the right path.  Check your goals, set the next ones and move on.  However, if after a year you're in more debt than when you started out, it may be time to reassess your goals or even consider going back to your day job. 

Many people start with a goal that is realistic and then they work backwards.  They develop smaller goals along the way that helps them reach their target.  It always helps to keep your feet on the ground.  Be as realistic as possible when you set your business goals - write down the exact amounts in terms of profits, taxes, salaries and perks to get a near-accurate picture of what you're dealing with.  Be as optimistic as you can or you might get discouraged if you don't reach most of your goals.  It is always safer to set goals that you can win.