Do You Have A Written Business Plan?

[Allegrif]

This is something I feel I really need to sit down and do, but I'm so busy with my actual work I just don't have time! Do you have anything like this, mapping your business future out?

 

[Scottish Business Owner]

Up until a few years ago I would have always recommended having a proper business plan. In fact pretty much every start up agency across the UK recommends it to this day.

I've actually changed my view on this over the past few years and I think there is alot to be said for actually validating the idea before going down the business plan route. Go out and prove that you can actually sell and that there's a market for what you are offering.

There's a great article on Entrepreneur.com that gives 10 great reasons why you shouldn't write a business plan. Here's the link >>> http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229804

My viewpoint might be quite controversial but at the end of the day it's my opinion

 

[stugster]

I'm not a fan of business plans. All the businesses I've been involved in have been far too fluid to "map out". Situations change, decisions happen, and I would never go back to the business plan to make sure we're still on this imaginary track to success.

 

[Allegrif]

Glad to see I'm not alone here in not having a set structure mapped out. Part of the reason I haven't so far is, as @stugster mentions, the fluidity of modern business and the frequent decisions I have to make which would inevitable deviate me from a set out plan anyway.

 

[St Rhenium]

It would be very hard for me as a part-time freelancer. The plan is dead simple: I get whatever work I can and finish it as soon as I can