Picture this: you’re a celebrated linebacker crouching on your own two-yard line, waiting to take someone down.  As you watch the snap, it hits you like a lightning bolt – the ball that is – right in the chest.  You grab the ball and run like hell, wondering where it came from.  Years of training have not prepared you for this, but you keep moving, one foot in front of the other.  Five yards, twenty yards…somewhere around fifty it hits you – this is your moment, your touchdown and your championship.  Nothing in your life has prepared you for the feeling of breaking the plane, a 100-yard touchdown run in the biggest game of your life.  Suddenly you realize that everything you practiced for, every back-breaking workout, every fire drill, was preparing you for this moment.

Self-employment success is much the same as a linebacker scoring the impossible touchdown to win the big game.  You work hard, practice constantly, and tackle your demons daily.  Determinedly, every day you face your own version of that painful exercise, the fire drill (mine’s phone calls, but everyone has their own difficulties), and then one day, you look up and find your company has exploded into vibrant life all around you.  Often, like the linebacker, in  unexpected ways.  Commit each day to developing the skills that propel your business forward and you will ensure that when the big day comes, you’re ready to run, even if the way is unfamiliar.

Even if this is only your ninth week in business, you already have more expertise than you think.  Something made you go into this business, and I’ll guarantee that something comes with a lot of knowledge baggage.  Use that knowledge and keep building on it.  By continually providing references such as articles, books, special reports, and statistics on areas that interest your prospects, clients, and referral sources, you begin to program them to come to you for answers.  Every time you meet a need, especially one they didn’t know was there, you gain credibility as a source – and sources don’t need to make cold calls.

Which would you rather do: pick up the phone and ask that guy you met at a mixer last week if he’s ready to have a consultation on that remodel he told you is coming, or send off an article about the newest trends in floor refinishing with a line or two about how you thought he might find it useful for his upcoming project.  Each accomplishes the same goal: to make contact and remind the prospect you’re still there.  However, the second option adds value for him and distinguishes you from the ten other contractors he spoke to that night.

When was the last time you felt like shaking your secretary/referral source/best client for that nails-on-a-chalkboard screeching phrase, “Oh, I didn’t know you wanted me to [insert seemingly obvious task here].”  Most of us hear this phrase when the person standing across from us can tell we’re upset and they don’t quite know why.  Before you write that person off as a bumbling idiot, consider what training process you have provided him/her.  I’m no poker player, but I’m willing to go all in on this bet: you haven’t taught them an easy-to-follow system for success.  So smack yourself in the head for expecting that person to understand your business as well as you do and start teaching.

Most of you visiting my site are running a one-man show.  Maybe you have one or two employees if you are really lucky.  Creating a clear and detailed training program for your sales and service philosophies may seem like a waste of time.  Trust me – nothing could be further from the truth.  The smaller your company is, the more essential a great training program will be.  The program can be used to train employees, referral sources, and even customers on your unique way of doing business.  You’re putting the time into positioning yourself as the expert for your target audience, so it’s essential to teach anyone promoting you how to recognize and position you with those people.  I know – you’re picturing the last corporate training you sat through, learning about Feature Benefit statements and memorizing product components.  Don’t worry – we’re not going down that road.

Dynamic, effective, and fun systems ensure that someone besides you can and will promote your business, which will save you time and effort.

Planning and preparing are essential pieces of self-employment that are often the difference between piloting a fun and profitable business and being towed under a sinking ship.  That being said, the plan all by itself is about as useful as a life vest with a hole in it.  Unless you’re looking to impress the SBA or an investment firm, a traditional business plan will serve little practical purpose for your organization.

Let’s debunk some of the common myths right now.  First off, you won’t use it.  The pieces of the plan that are valuable to your organization are all covered in this book and require less than ten pages worth of writing and about three hours of market research.  Use them constantly and leave the unrealistic projections and expensive demographic data to the big guys.  Second, your bank doesn’t want it.  The SBA might, but that’s a different conversation for a different need.  The bank will only give you money based on what you already have.

So, why the mythology around the almighty business plan? I think it must have something to do with MBA programs needing to puff up their content.  What you need is an idea of where your business has been and a guide for where it is going.  This can be accomplished with a few easy management techniques that live and move with your needs on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.  Great plans are like a GPS for your company; you identify the target and they help provide step-by-step instructions for reaching it.

For more information or for your complementary consultation contact us at info@C2Bdevelopment.com