Over the last few weeks, you have all been reading my blogs about this journey I am on in the Business Development Course through the Learning Initiative in my hometown of Sudbury Ontario. Funded by Employment Ontario, this program enables new business owners to start up a business with education, leadership, guidance, and yes, maybe a little hand holding. The program walks you through step by step the proper way to write and present your business plan. It's time consuming, over loading, and stressful at times, but by gosh, one of the greatest things I have done to date. I mean really - what do I know about writing a proper, well planned, and thought out business 
plan; never mind running a business on my own?
plan; never mind running a business on my own?NOT MUCH
I am however, getting there. The plan is coming together, the ideas are forming, and solidifying, and I am looking at my business from (almost) every conceivable angle. I say almost in parenthesis because nobody owns a crystal ball, and not one person can tell you what may or may not happen in your business. It's just not possible.
At this point in my business plan, I am starting to write the operations portion. The HOW'S and the HOW TO'S of my business. It's neat really, because as I write, new procedure and ideas pop into my head, and I re-think what it is I need to do to protect not only myself, but my clients. Things that are common place in day to day activities need to be put down on paper and matched against the vision of your business. Do these procedure match who you want your clients to see? Are your policies reflective of your image? It's strange to say; and may sound silly to all of you who may be in business, or have written business plans in the past, but when I was thinking of colours for my website, or what I would charge to a non for profit agency, I did not stop to think about creating policies and procedure to not only match, but reflect my business and it's image. I just though it would come naturally, as my image is - well, it's essentially me.
Today was a long day (I should say is, as it's still going), started early in the morning, because I know it's a good time for me, and went a little longer in the afternoon, because of a monthly meeting, coupled with a SEB graduation. As I fanned myself with a handout, and questioned why I was wearing polyester in the heat, several previous SEB "students" and new business owners came up to accept their kudos for finishing program; and a few them coupled with their thank yous to the instructors, shared insights into what they had learned, accomplished, or really wanted to emphasize to us; Group 49- still tadpoles in the world of business development. It was neat to hear the comments, the the reminders of what's important, and to see the looks of success on all their faces.
I smiled a lot despite my sticking polyester, and looked at the faces of people who have been through exactly what I was going through in that instant. Exhaustion, excitement, exhilaration (and a few other words that don't begin with E), and the simple joy of knowing that all of this opportunity that we have been given, all of the resources we have at our fingertips intensify our rate and level of success. Sure we still have to put in 110 percent, breath life into like it were a child, but we are lucky.
With only two weeks left of our initial six week course, and the final business plan to be completed shortly there after, I am in the home stretch of a soft opening, and to tell you the truth. I'm pretty damned excited - polyester pants and all.
Today was a long day (I should say is, as it's still going), started early in the morning, because I know it's a good time for me, and went a little longer in the afternoon, because of a monthly meeting, coupled with a SEB graduation. As I fanned myself with a handout, and questioned why I was wearing polyester in the heat, several previous SEB "students" and new business owners came up to accept their kudos for finishing program; and a few them coupled with their thank yous to the instructors, shared insights into what they had learned, accomplished, or really wanted to emphasize to us; Group 49- still tadpoles in the world of business development. It was neat to hear the comments, the the reminders of what's important, and to see the looks of success on all their faces.
I smiled a lot despite my sticking polyester, and looked at the faces of people who have been through exactly what I was going through in that instant. Exhaustion, excitement, exhilaration (and a few other words that don't begin with E), and the simple joy of knowing that all of this opportunity that we have been given, all of the resources we have at our fingertips intensify our rate and level of success. Sure we still have to put in 110 percent, breath life into like it were a child, but we are lucky.
With only two weeks left of our initial six week course, and the final business plan to be completed shortly there after, I am in the home stretch of a soft opening, and to tell you the truth. I'm pretty damned excited - polyester pants and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment