The Real Truth about Business Plans What the Consultants Dont tell You
The Real Truth about Business Plans What the Consultants Dont tell You
plan, is it integral to your business, and instrumental to its growth? If the answer to this question is
yes, then you need to read no further. However, in Empower Business Solutions experience, even if
they have a plan, most business owners leave it languishing on their bottom shelf, gathering dust!
Our dirty little secret is this: most business consultants are only interested in selling their time or
their ‘Business Plan in a Box’ but know that for a business plan to be useful, it has to be part of a
Business Management System. But this is a much harder proposition for the consultant to sell,
particularly to small business owners who are just looking for a quick fix. So most consultants just sell
a quick fix solution. Once owners have prepared their “fill in the blanks” plan, they expect it to
transform their business overnight just by its mere existence. And because this does not happen, it
ends up on the bottom shelf.
Business Plans do work, but you have to make them work. It is not a one-off exercise. If you buy a
‘Business Plan in a Box’, you need to understand that you are responsible for maintaining the plan.
You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is not just a fill in the blanks product. These
plans always end up on the bottom shelf. They don’t show you how to do your strategic analysis
(which is never a fill in the blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you).
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner. You have to be brutally
honest with yourself. Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a coach), get someone else
involved to keep you honest! Looking at examples of what others have done can help, but your
business will have different strengths and weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace. And
lastly, make sure the off-the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into
your business.
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will:
Ř undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths & weaknesses of your business
Ř show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
Ř give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months after the plan
has been delivered.
While this will require a larger investment than a ‘Business Plan in a Box’ and is a harder sell for a
consultant, this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom shelf and that your
investment is not wasted!
Business Planning is not an easy process. It takes time and commitment. You don’t just do it once.
This is not what business owners want to hear, and what most consultants won’t tell you, because it
might cost them a sale. But the rewards from a well implemented business plan are worth many times
your investment. To find out more about how a business plan can help your business, visit our
website:
http://www.empowersolutions.com.au
The Real Truth about Business Plans What the Consultants Dont tell You - To learn more about this author, visit Greg Chapman's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Do you have a Business Plan? Congratulations, but you are in a small minority. And if you have a
plan, is it integral to your business, and instrumental to its growth? If the answer to this question is
yes, then you need to read no further. However, in Empower Business Solutions experience, even if
they have a plan, most business owners leave it languishing on their bottom shelf, gathering dust!
Our dirty little secret is this: most business consultants are only interested in selling their time or
their ‘Business Plan in a Box’ but know that for a business plan to be useful, it has to be part of a
Business Management System. But this is a much harder proposition for the consultant to sell,
particularly to small business owners who are just looking for a quick fix. So most consultants just sell
a quick fix solution. Once owners have prepared their “fill in the blanks” plan, they expect it to
transform their business overnight just by its mere existence. And because this does not happen, it
ends up on the bottom shelf.
Business Plans do work, but you have to make them work. It is not a one-off exercise. If you buy a
‘Business Plan in a Box’, you need to understand that you are responsible for maintaining the plan.
You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is not just a fill in the blanks product. These
plans always end up on the bottom shelf. They don’t show you how to do your strategic analysis
(which is never a fill in the blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you).
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner. You have to be brutally
honest with yourself. Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a coach), get someone else
involved to keep you honest! Looking at examples of what others have done can help, but your
business will have different strengths and weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace. And
lastly, make sure the off-the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into
your business.
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will:
Ř undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths & weaknesses of your business
Ř show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
Ř give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months after the plan
has been delivered.
While this will require a larger investment than a ‘Business Plan in a Box’ and is a harder sell for a
consultant, this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom shelf and that your
investment is not wasted!
Business Planning is not an easy process. It takes time and commitment. You don’t just do it once.
This is not what business owners want to hear, and what most consultants won’t tell you, because it
might cost them a sale. But the rewards from a well implemented business plan are worth many times
your investment. To find out more about how a business plan can help your business, visit our
website:
http://www.empowersolutions.com.au
The Real Truth about Business Plans What the Consultants Dont tell You - To learn more about this author, visit Greg Chapman's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
|||
Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Greg's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | ||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Managing the Unimaginable Competetive Advantage Article 3 Networking Skills Make Attitude Your Ally PIPS Power Book |
|
 | ||
 |
More PR Resources
Press Release Builder | |
 |
Choose A PR Topic
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||