A Pre-written Business Plans Is As Useful As…

Frustration: People asking me (via email) “where can I find a business plan for …” some specific type of business. I get that a lot. Prewritten business plans.

Sigh… Here:

• A pre-written business plan is about as useful as somebody else’s year-old airline and hotel reservations.
• A pre-written business plan is about as useful as somebody else’s exercises already done. Like used pushups.
• A pre-written business plan is about as useful as last month’s fresh fish.
• A pre-written business plan is about as useful as last year’s calendar.
• A pre-written business plan is about as useful as a medical prescription written for somebody else a year ago.

• The value of a business plan is measured by the decisions it causes.
• Good business planning is 9 parts execution for every one part strategy.
• A business plan has a shelf life of a few weeks at best. Famous quote (Eisenhower and Napoleon): “The plan is useless; but planning is essential.”
• Whenever some expert says don’t do a business plan, ask that what he or she thinks about setting priorities, metrics, responsibilities, and milestones. Because that’s what a business plan is.
• Make it just big enough.
• Planning isn’t made useless by rapid change. Quite the contrary: the quicker the pace of change, the more necessary the planning.
• A business plan is to a business pitch the same as a screenplay to a movie.