To be successful in business, you need to conduct research and write your business plan. Attempting to start a business without a (well-composed) business plan through feasibility study is like a stranger going to an unfamiliar terrain without prior direction. Or better still, it is like a ship without a rudder (which controls its direction). It is in the light of this that the publication of this text entitled “Seven Step Business Plan”, written by Ms. Sheila Holm, a respected business-management expert is a welcome addition to business management literature.

Holm says before preparing this text, she had cycled and recycled clients to every bookstore to work through every business-planning book option. She adds that the clients purchased many books but still wanted more help. Holm discloses that to make it easy and affordable for more business owners to receive help, she started conducting a series of seminars to help owners and their management teams develop their business plans within a seven-step format based upon their dreams and goals.

Holm says the outline of the seminars developed rapidly into a seven-step, one-page form for quick and easy review while updating the business plan according to each change and adjustment to the goals.

The author educates that having a business plan adds value to the bottom line of a business. She adds that this text removes the learning-curve requirement, stressing that she knows you can increase the productivity and profitability of your business when you write your own business plan.

Holm says whether you have not yet written a plan, you have paid a consultant to write a plan, or you have proceeded with your business idea before writing a plan, you are absolutely in the majority. She submits that the truth however is that no other owner, director or team leader can articulate your business idea better than you can, stressing that planning is the key to success and profitability.

Structurally, this text is segmented into seven chapters. Chapter one is entitled “structure”. This author educates here that immediately in your own words, you should begin writing a statement about “how it is around here” according to how you are going to proceed with your business. Holm says many owners, even after they open the doors and operate their business, proceed without a clear statement about their business: how it will meet the needs of customers or how their business relates to the industry. The author adds that their dreams and goals are not in writing or in focus yet.

She stresses that clarity is helpful and has a positive impact upon your bottom line. This author adds that if you want more profit, then you need to gain clarity and if you want more clarity, then you need to schedule a little more time to walk and/or work through the planning process with her.

According to Holm, businesses develop in phases, so it is important to begin the planning process by identifying the part of one or more phases, or stages of development, of the business process your business represents. The author discloses that your business may be at a point where you want to add a phase to your existing plans or it may be an idea that you want to sell to someone else. You may want to purchase a developed product in order to market and distribute it, or you may be starting a business that will include all phases of the business process, expatiates Holm.

She says this stop is a major decision point since it will match your expertise and passion with the type of business you should pursue. In her words, “So, take a moment to get comfortable and get a firm picture in your head of yourself as the owner of the concept or product in one or more of the key phases of the business.” Holm also discusses idea; development; location; production; marketing and sales; distribution; and repairs or redevelopment in this chapter.

Chapter two is based on the subject matter of placement. Here, the author says the biggest mistake owners make is to think they have the most unusual business idea. Holm stresses that she is always concerned when a client says she should hurry up and develop a business plan before someone else steals the idea.

She reveals that ideas are out there and we do not have the market cornered on any idea. The author adds that only very few people with ideas will proceed and develop the ideas into a tangible entity, a business that will become part of the marketplace. She stresses that you are the exception to the rule.

The expert submits that now that you have set out to pursue your idea, it is important that you continue to follow and recognise the needs of the market that initially inspired you. She explains that if you understand the placement of your business within the industry, it is as important today as it will be that every day you are in business.

In Holm’s words, “Too many businesses forget to stay current regarding the trends within the industry and the business, market in general. The business process is a fluid process, so do not plan on making a decision regarding placement and then setting your business idea into a concrete base and forcing it to hold up to this statement for more than a few weeks. This is why I absolutely recommend reviewing the Seven Step Business Plan form each month.”

She illuminates that this phase of planning your business is a good time to meet and interview experts. On the aspect of customers, Holm says if you think everyone is your customer, take a second look at the facts about your business and what it will provide to the community. The author educates that defining your customers will assist you in the process of matching your business with the top competitors in your industry She adds that you have to know your competitors and how they are doing business within your industry.

“Begin with the title ‘Competitors’ on a page of your notepad. Add names to your list each time you identify a business in your industry. Expand your list and add all related businesses, increasing the scope and parameter of your search. This list will also help you gain an objective view of how the various businesses affect your business and your industry,” educates this expert.

Chapter three is on the concept of leadership. Holm says the most important statement you can make about your business is the statement you make about yourself and your involvement within each phase of the business. She adds that the statement you make about each member of your leadership team closely follows the importance of the statement you make about yourself.

According to this author, your leadership ability is critical as it is your ability to inspire others. Holm emphasises that leadership skills and abilities develop into the team strengths that are going to be evident in the business structure and help sell the business to each customer, vendor, employee, and business. “Remember, you are not able to be all things to people within the team. Each leader plays a specific role, and the team’s strengths and support in areas of weakness will define the overall strengths of the business,” guides the author.

The business management expert educates that when you detail your involvement, you should ensure that you align your statements with the phrases you have written to describe your business today and your plans for the future of this phase of the process. She adds that this statement will need to remain flexible in order to complement the plans for each aspect of the business as you continue to refine them.

In chapters four to seven, Holm analytically X-rays concepts such as purpose and highlights; vision and mission statements; operational and marketing plans; and financial and profit plans.

As regards stylistic assessment, the report card of this text is in blue. For instance, a lot of textual and graphical illustrations are used to reinforce the understanding of readers. The book is also very educative in that the chapters are further broken down into many sub-segments to achieve simplicity and easy comprehension on readers’ part. Holm includes one-page fill-in-the-blanks form representing a prototype for a typical business plan to guide readers. What’s more, the language is simple.

However, a technical error is noticed in the text. This is the omission of a hyphen in-between the first two words of the title of the text “Seven Step Business Plan”. Omission of the natural hyphen has grammatically deprived “Seven” and “Step” from becoming a nominal compound modifier to the phrase “Business Plan”. It is structurally supposed to be “Seven-Step Business Plan”. Without a hyphen, one will also be grammatically compelled to add an “S” to “Step” because of the cardinal word “Seven”.

On the whole, the text is a necessary companion for (prospective) entrepreneurs, business managers, etc. What else would you expect me to say if not that “it is highly recommended”? Get a copy of this book today and learn how to write a business plan so that you can achieve business can succeed.

We are living in a high-tech era where gadget computers and internet has become an important part of our lives. If we try to put it in a simple way we are virtually living in cyberspace. Internet has not only helped us with a better way of communication but has also opened up a doorway to newer and bigger opportunities. One of those unique opportunities is having an online business.

In order to do a successful online business one must have a well coordinated internet business plan. A business plan is actually a proposal stating the fact about your business. Any internet business plan should have a definite goal and a fair budget. But it also needs good entrepreneur skills too.

In the modern world e-commerce has achieved a lot of importance. Online businesses are thriving all over, thus giving a rise to a tough competition. The conception of an online business is not too different from an offline one. It requires a lot of knowledge and research over the business plan. Proper planning foresight and sound knowledge can give u a head start over your competitor.

Internet business plans comprises of businesses like web development, web content writing, online marketing, online banking, online share trading etc. To incorporate an internet business plan one must start from rudimentary level, covering all the aspects like, your targeted customer, marketing strategy, the operations, management and most importantly customer service. In order to promote your business you must choose a brand name which states clearly about your company objectives. In order to be safe from scammer, you must do a thorough research on the company or product you are dealing with. The also needs to be flexible, and should be made keeping the customer’s need in mind.

There are many internet businesses which are home based. Running a business from home can be very beneficial. There are many home based business tips available. if you are doing an online business from your home then you should have a well researched and sound Internet Business Plan and follow some home based business tips, set a schedule and stick to it, have a proper workplace, have 24/7 internet connection, advertise, familiarize with the tax laws, try multitasking etc.

All online businesses weather it is home based or not needs a strong and sound business plans as well as a better idea of what are the basic involvements of a successful internet business.

Startup businesses should consider that a successful business marketing plan has little to do with a gut feeling or a hunch; it is rather based on sound market research. A competitive advantage will be given to any small business that realizes this. This is not however, where entrepreneurs focus there attentions. Even though well done market research is crucial for understanding the competition, most entrepreneur ideas center on entrepreneur business opportunities and creating successful products. If an entrepreneur spends time understanding competition on all levels: product competition, segment competition, demand competition, technology competition and future competition, entrepreneurs would be well equipped to implement competition strategies will be highly effective.

Where should one start?

The most important decisions a small business needs to take into consideration right off the bat when making a competitive business plan is what needs to be done and then how the business’ time, energy and money will be spent doing the tasks that need to be done. Time, energy and money are the only things that any business can spend so proper planning right at the beginning will assure the best and highest uses of these resources.

So step one is for business owners to do their market research (to determine what needs to be done). Step two is to determine how to get it done in a timely fashion and how to get it done right.

Solo entrepreneurs who have the do it yourself (DIY) mentally must realize that the need to allocate these resources applies to them as well. Consider this: It may not be in the best interest of the business to take a significant amount of time gaining expertise; whether that is in getting the necessary knowledge for doing market research or for professional web development solutions as examples. This is true especially when there is a limited budget. The cost of staying in the learning/development stage will ultimately take its toll. This will be seen when a business loses out on potential revenue that would have been gained if development had been ramped up more quickly. Not to mention: delaying will allow the competition to get a lead.

Market research to determine what business the needs are and then deciding how to allocate time, energy and money correctly is so crucial. The reality is that it is also so often ineffectively done. Ultimately it will determine whether entrepreneurship successfully launching an idea will ever even happen.

Why then do entrepreneurs fail to do these two steps? Simple and trite as it may seem, it is nevertheless true. Most entrepreneurs do not know what they do not know. They do not know how to research their market. They do not know how to create an effective business plan, based on their time, energy and money, which will get them to where they want to go. They don’t know how to get the market research data that they need to create a competitive marketing strategy. They don’t know about the best practices for a real online marketing strategy and how it will create a powerful web identity.

The following three reasons are typical ways that entrepreneurs respond when they do not know.

The first response is the hit or miss approach of just taking action. The success of this will depend on how adroit a business owner is at developing the necessary skills and making the adjustments on the fly. This approach can lead to a lot of wasted resources which will be spent because of lack of knowledge. It is not cost effective.

A second type of response is to expect to learn every skill that is needed to be successful before moving ahead. This happens for example when a startup online business, for example, tries to reinvent the web development, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing(SEM), social media optimization (SMO), pay per click (PPC) and customer relationship management (CRM) wheels. Reinvention is a time wasting and unwieldy task that is destines to side track the entrpreneur; sometimes indefinitely. An example of this is seen in the case of startup business owners who continue to spend time and money on endless seminars and products that promise to solve all of their problems; except they never get started. These entrepreneurs are more correctly defined as opportunity seekers rather than serious business owners.

The third response is for the entrepreneur to gain a broad education in the business planning processes that will be needed to develop the business. The business owner can determine which levels of expertise already exist and which ones need to be bolstered. This is the entrepreneur who makes an assessment of the highest and best use of time, energy and money. This entrepreneur will be asking questions such as:

– How do I get the market research analysis I need to create and keep a competitive edge?
– Are adequate web development solutions available in house? Do I need a dedicated team or should I hire a professional?
– How do I keep abreast of the rapidly evolving internet marketing landscape? How will I get the specialized skills that are needed to participate in the interactive world of Web 2.0? Measure and analyze results?
– What are best inbound marketing practices?
– How can I find the best ways to extend marketing dollars?
– Will my business be better off with an in house staff or will virtual office management be better?
– Do I need an extensive sales force or can web based CRM software automate a lot of this?
– How can I make the best hiring choices and provide the training that is needed?

Clearly, the questions that must be addressed by a startup business as well as an established one are considerable. This is why the third response is the only one that makes sense.

A successful business owner will wisely decide not to do it all since this is not the highest use of time, energy or money. By keeping educated about current trends and what a successful business needs, the business owner will be in a position to make appropriate decisions. The decision on what should be done in house and what should to be outsourced needs to be made.

Marketing research firms agree that the best business plan for a startup or existing business is to get the help of a marketing partner who already has the new Web 2.0 marketing tools and most importantly knows how to effectively use them. They can help determine what needs to be done and the best ways to get them done. Can a startup business afford this? Today expert outsourced services are highly affordable. The real question is can your business afford not to use them?