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Entries in business plan (2)

Wednesday
Nov112009

keeping me up at night.

I have been on this so-called mission to launch my new business, for... hmmm... a WHOLE YEAR.  I started this year with a re-kindled spirit to stop procrastinating on my long sought after vision - and make it work for me.  I started conversations with people, but never finished.  I started writing my business plan, but never finished.  I started and restarted my logo about 22 times... and after 6 months of my own under-whleming design, I finally finished that chapter after a 20 minute intervention with a fellow designer friend.

What I have managed to finish on my own was my chai tea latte (every day), the perfect self-motivational speech that I recite daily, and my quasi-website.  So nearly a year later, what do I have to show?

Well, by the grace of God, I have a handful of happy clients who allowed me to craft their vision (though mine was still in progress), a growing portfolio, and... my quasi-website. Lately, I have been working on two weddings that are a week apart next June... so you can imagine the late night conversations I have been having. 

That said... i'm done with the frill of a "renewed spirit" or an "invigorated sense of purpose" - it's time to gett'r done... or someone else will.

Thursday
Aug132009

designing by ear

I have written it down, crossed it out, made modifications, re-written the revision,  doodled on top of it, lost it, found it, lost it again, spilled my chai tea on it, ripped it from my dogs mouth, read it, re-read it... and still... I'm not happy with it.

I'm talking about my business plan.  The more and more thought I put into it, the more I hate the whole idea of it.  Whatever happened to playing it by ear?  I don't know what I estimate my profits to be! I don't know how I plan to market! I don't have a ten year plan! Does this make me a bad aspiring entrepreneur?  Why can't I just try something... and see how it works.  If it doesn't, change, modify, alter... accordingly.

With modern societies' peaks and valleys (dot com, economy, housing market) it seems that a business plan is more presumptious than just going with the flow.  Who can really know?  Established entrepreneurs that I regard highly tell me that a business plan is simply to let investors, supporters and/or business partners know that I have at least considered things such as profit, and marketing strategy...

Great. I have considered it, its in a notebook somewhere... now let's make some money shall we?

All that to say - I guess you can say I went out on a limb, business plan-less, and decided to pull together 6 greeting cards, to sell as a set.  I have them on Etsy right now, and depending on how they do, I may approach some small cafes in the area and see if they are interested in selling them.  At the end of the day - the best way to forecast is to just put yourself out there and see how it goes... win or lose, you learn something valuable.  Something a document full of God knows what can't tell you...