Planning Process

I’m Loving the New Version of Business Plan Pro

August 4, 2011

If you’re a regular reader you know I don’t normally do sales pitches here on this blog, but this is special. Last week Palo Alto Software introduced a brand new version of Business Plan Pro incorporating (finally) my Plan-as-You-Go Business Planning ideas into the mainstream of the software. With this new version, when you start [...]

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10 Lies About Business Planning (Video)

November 19, 2010

Business plans are a waste of time? That’s a dangerous lie. Don’t bother, because nobody’s going to read it anyhow? That’s another lie, because it’s about running your company, not whether somebody else reads your document. The lies matter because they interfere with business planning, which ought to be part of your management. Planning is [...]

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Business Plan, Marketing Plan, or Both?

June 24, 2010

“if I have a marketing plan, do I need (or want) a business plan too?” Good question. And so is its opposite question too, “if I have a business plan, do I also need (or want) a marketing plan?” As for a lot of these planning questions, you’re going to get different answers from different [...]

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When Brainstorms Fizzle

January 29, 2009

I just read Is Brainstorming a Waste of Time? on Lateral Action. Consider this quote: I’ve heard similar complaints from quite a few creative directors and professional creatives – instead of seeing brainstorming as essential to the company’s creative process,…

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Zen Habits to Autopilot to Business Planning

June 17, 2008

Dieting. Regular exercise. Investing. Planning. All of them so much easier said than done. Easy to know what to do, but hard to do it, because you have to actually do it, repeatedly, not just know what to do. Emphasize,…

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The Planning Process 10%

August 20, 2007

Picture yourself in front of a group of 20-30 business owners. They are computer or software resellers, dealers of Progress Software, Autodesk, SolidWorks, or a personal computer manufacturer. They are mostly men in their 40s and 50s. Most of them…

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The Blog Business Plan

June 7, 2007

Professional investor Bijan Sabet received a blog as a business presentation. He suggests it makes sense. “It’s a first for me,” he adds. “I actually liked it.” You can read more of the post for a quick view of the…

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Schedule Regular Reviews

May 29, 2007

Each year, as you get ready to publish the next year’s plan, schedule the plan review meetings. Use some regular meeting schedule such as the third or fourth Thursday of every month. All the managers committed to the plan will…

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Involvement vs. Commitment

May 28, 2007

In breakfast, the chicken is involved, the pig is committed. In the business planning process, commitment is essential. Plans need to be implemented, and implementation means commitment. There has to be accountability, and peer pressure. You have to follow up…

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