I never bring a lunch to work. I know, I know. This is a good way to get fat (or fatter in my case) and go broke. But I just can’t do it. I’m not opposed to cooking. I actually really enjoy it. But for me, a paper bag lunch is the definition of an uninspired-lackluster-underwhelming surprise.

Each day at about 11:30, as I sit working away at my computer, my stomach starts to grumble and I let out a big “I’M HUNGRY!” And not until that very moment do I now what it is I’m hungry for. Could be pizza. Could be a big bowl of soup. Could be Modern Indian Buffet. I decide what I’m going to eat at about 11:45 and then I’m out the door for my daily walk to the local eatery.

I look at Business Plans in the same way. We all know what a Business Plan is. Your basic “Who works here?”, “What do they do?”, “What happens if someone loses a pen?”Business plans serve a purpose. Without them how would you know what to do if, well, someone lost a pen.

A Business Plan also helps you plan for the future. What are your business opportunities? Who is your target market? What’s your financial forecast for the year?

But, like a paper bag lunch, a business plan is the definition of uninspired-lackluster-underwhelming surprise. Life happens. Markets change. Stocks crash. Suddenly your audience isn’t there. Everyone stops using the pens you might lose. What then?

I’m not knocking Business Plans. Hell, we have one at kitestring. What I am saying is that it’s always good to leave some room for surprise. Make sure your Business Plan lives and isn’t a three ringed binder sitting on your shelf collecting dust. Add to it. Subtract from it. Roll with the punches. You’re business is a living, breathing, lunch eating organism. Don’t let your Business Plan be a dead, dust collector.

At any moment your business could go “I’M HUNGRY”, and sometimes that planned bologna sandwich and juice box just won’t suffice.

About the Author: chris
These are the musings about a business brainchild contained within a creative confectionery of a mind. His blog entries often look at how making friends and building your brand online is a lot like making it on the playground.

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