The Business Growth Roadmap:
A Process, Not Just a Document
The link to the free Business Growth Roadmap and template appears further down the page

Many people think that business plans are only for businesses needing funding, or that they are static creations that go into a drawer once completed, or that they are a lot of useless work which distracts them from taking action.

None of this is true. A good business planning process (notice the insertion of the word process) is an ongoing review and revision. It is both a focusing and idea generating device meant to increase and optimize effective communication both within the business and towards other (potential) stakeholders. Good business planning processes also produce the result of creating more ease in prioritizing relevant actions and implementing them.

When first engaging in this process, it is not uncommon for a business plan to change radically from month to month as new information comes in: market response, market research, competitor activities, cash flow analysis, insights gained from experiences, from reading or from just talking to people. Regularly revising the plan to incorporate the new information helps to process it usefully, creates synergy, and provides an effective way to create, launch and communicate new ideas. By working new information into each section of the plan, business owners are able to write and prioritize their execution plan. For example, if you have a written business plan and can articulate your strategy readily, it becomes a whole lot easier to create an effective marketing presentation or website. By continually working through and revising your plan, you create a track record making you and it much more credible for potential investors, partners, and team members.

Because we know that it is crucial to fully engage in the business planning process, at Artemis Consulting Partners we strive to continually make it easier and more fun to begin. We have designed a free business planning template designed to help anyone get started in bite sized chunks. We also regularly hold a 1-day “Business Roadmap” workshop and a follow-on course to implement the process where participants can increase their business support network in a non-threatening, constructive environment.

Need funding? Try the classic “Writing a Convincing Business Plan”

Can’t participate in our class and prefer a quicker format with no number crunching? Check out Jim Horan’s book,
“The One Page Business Plan for the Creative Entrepreneur”
or
“The One Page Business Plan for Consultants”

Need more free advice? Don’t forget to explore the resources available through the SBA (Small Business Association): ( http://www.sba.gov/) and their resource partner SCORE (http://www.score.org/).