Baby, Bathwater, and Business Planning
January 13, 2010, 5:40 PM
Which is better: aiming at something from a great distance and committing to that without flexibility; or setting a general direction and moving towards it in smaller flexible increments? The second is better. Of course. The first is like the ...

Develop Your Business Not Just Your Business Plan
November 23, 2009, 3:50 PM
I’m still long-term frustrated with how many people lose the potential steering and management benefits of business planning because they focus on the plan as document instead of the planning as management. With that in mind, and in honor of ...

Do You Need a Business Plan (Interview)
November 06, 2009, 12:05 PM
A 12-question interview on the latest in business planning, including why you need a business plan and why that's much easier than you think.

Kelle Olwyler Dispelling Myths of Small Business Planning
October 09, 2009, 10:50 AM
A good radio interview by Jim Blasingame, interviewing Kelle Olwyler, on the myths of business planning.

Two Planning Posts You Should Read
October 05, 2009, 5:25 PM
Recommending two good posts on two important elements of business planning. The first talks about increasing accountability in a business, and the second about how planning can make the difference between success and failure.

Looking for That Master List of Startup Expenses
September 06, 2009, 4:35 PM
Answering a reader's question about where to find a master list of startup expenses for a specific business plan. No, there is no list, it depends on what you want, where you are, what resources you have, and your strategy ...

New Business Pitch Site Opens Up
August 28, 2009, 1:05 PM
There's a new business pitch site at pitch.bplans.com that gives you a place to put your business summary and video pitch for free. No promise of investors looking at it, but tips, comments, and a dedicated URL can help your ...

Why Cash Flow Is Like a River
August 24, 2009, 10:30 AM
A 5-minute video looking at details of cash flow for small business, why you want to plan your cash flow, and why cash flow is like a river.

Business Plan Simplifying Assumptions
August 21, 2009, 12:00 PM
Why simplifying assumptions in a business plan? It has do to with diminishing return on effort, not trying to model reality three years into the future in full detail. It's planning, not accounting, and particularly not accounting detail imagined in ...

5 Dangerous Myths of Business Planning
August 13, 2009, 6:10 PM
I posted 5 Dangerous Myths of Business Planning yesterday on the Industry Word blog on the new business.gov community site.