Although I've been self-employed for years, I recently decided to take a 6 week express entrepreneur class to sharpen up my skills. The class consists of a weekly lecture followed up with assigned reading and homework. The book we are reading is "The E-Myth Revisited" and I recommend it to anyone who wants to start a business or currently has one. For our homework each week we write a different section of our business plan and by the end we will have business plan that we can show to others and maybe use to get funding. There is a $5,000 prize for the best business plan and we also get to participate in a small business expo. Truthfully, most of the things I've heard before, but this is my first time writing a business plan which I needed to do. Since I already have a business, writing the plan has more to do with future growth and not starting the business. I'm giving an entrepreneur presentation in March, so I figured it would be good for me to have a completed business plan, because I know someone will ask me if I have one.

On the first day of class I had every intention of writing a business plan for a new company, but something kept telling me to write it for my current business. I'm trying to get better about listening to my gut and this wasn't the first time I had this gnawing feeling in regard to my business plan. This time the voice was a little louder so I decided to listen and now it it went away! Funny how that happens when you listen to your gut... I've already created a vision statement and executive summary, and this week's homework involves creating a budget for year one. I will probably do my budget for year 8 and factor in adding some subcontractors to help me complete larger projects. I'm of the opinion that everything that comes my way is preparing me for something bigger down the road, so I'm trying to slay these little dragons now, to get me ready for the big dragons down the road. I may share portions of it on the blog, so you've been warned.