Forge Your Own Path. Create A Business Plan That Works For YOU

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1 Forge Your Own Path. Create A Business Plan That Works For YOU There is more than 1 way to do things, but the quickest way to do nothing is to not pick 1!

2 Disclaimer This guide is to be used to assist you in putting together your own personal use Business Plan. This is not a template for a Raising Capital Business Plan (RCBP) as you may need for a Bank Loan &/or other Outside Investment. Having a Business Plan does not guarantee a successful Business & merely putting something in writing will have little effect at all unless you are willing to take Action on your plans. Business Plans are a working document and will require updating as and when any changes happen. Note from AJ Pipe This is by no means a comprehensive business plan, but it will serve as a Guide to how you use your past learnings & your future aspirations to make clear, purposeful decisions in the present. Sound good? Lets dive in

3 What We Are Going To Cover In This Guide Review An honest look at your business now Where do you want to be? Your Ideal Client Branding -- A time saving measure Marketing Where to focus your efforts Contact Me

4 Review Ask your self these questions; 1. Where are you in your market place now? Are you; a) Expensive? High End? Top Shelf? Premium? Converted? Think Tiffany's, Apple, AmEx Black Card b) Good Quality? Long Lasting? Durable? Think Virgin, Teflon, Holden c) Will Do The Job? Disposable? Think McDonalds, All Home Brand, Budget Airlines Are you where you want to be? Your Notes:-

5 Review 2. Did you make a good profit last year? This is where you d look at your accounts. - Are there any big spending mistakes to learn from? - Can you identify where most your profit came from? - ROI (Return On Investment) for Marketing Campaigns? - Did you get a good price from your suppliers? Good service from your staff & outsourcers? Your Notes :-

6 Review 3. Why did I start my business? This is a question that will need answering on any type of Business Plan (you can just be a little more open here). Your Why is what will keep you going through difficult times & even Big Bad Banks know that someone with clear reasoning is more likely to succeed & pay them back. Your Notes:-

7 Where do you want to be? 4. Where do I want to see myself/my business in 3 years? Pack as much information as you can in here. The more detail the better. You re looking to have a clear image of you in 3 years time. What are you wearing? Who is with you? Where are you (home/office/holiday/etc.)? How much disposable income do you have? How many people do you have in your team? What are your days like? Etc. Your Notes:- Top Tip If you are visual, cut out pictures from magazines &/or doddle. This is your business plan.

8 Your 3 Year Target Notes Continued

9 Your Ideal Client 5. Who is your ideal customer? People get really strung out on this question & therefor don t answer it or brush off the importance of knowing. And the truth is you already know the answer. If you have been in business a while, just think about your favourite customer. You know the one that pays on time OR tells all their friends about you OR doesn t complain & comes back for more OR the one you have felt best about helping. If you don t have a current client in mind, go back to Why You Set Up The Business, did you solve a problem you had? i.e. I can never find a lovely unique piece of jewellery that shows my personality/style on evenings out. If that is the case then you are your ideal customer, pre solving the problem. Your Notes:- My ideal customer is. ME!

10 Branding Now you know Your Ideal Customer it s time to Brand yourself. This will save you so much time and money later on. Producing business cards, flyers, sorting out your on-line presence. You want to Brand yourself now the way you want to be seen in 3 years time. I use Get It By Deesign for all my Branding. Your Notes:-

11 Marketing Marketing is really easy once you know your ideal customer, because you can tailor your efforts to attract them. If you know your ideal customer is a 30 something Yummy Mummy with a large disposable income who loves coffee, you d be better off putting a Flyer up at a local coffee shop, head lined CALLING ALL YUMMY MUMMYS than putting a generic advert in the paper. Put yourself in your ideal clients shoes and look at your business through their eyes. What would you like to see improved? Is every step easy to navigate? The smallest tweaks can make the biggest difference to the client experience and the bottom line. Adding real value does not have to cost much and turn your clients into your biggest fans. Your Notes:-

12 Contact Me If you would like to go over anything brought up in this Guide Or would like help to Cultivate your own business plan. Find me on : ajpipe@aj-pipe.com Website: Tel: