Riverside Notes
Starting the Business Planning Process
Thinking by the Riverside
You’ll remember that yesterday I brought you up to the point of my inspiration while driving to the American River. I spent the following three days at the 2100-m elevation of Lower Twin Lakes in the Sierras near Bridgeport thinking about this idea. After returning to the American River, among its lush forest of firs, pines, and cedars, I could sit near the river and write in my notebook and plan. Over the course of the next five days, I wrote 22 pages.
My Business Planning Process
Which brings me to my business planning process: I like to know what I’m getting into before I jump in the river. Well before writing a business plan, I think one needs to cover the following topics, among other considerations:
What’s the inspiring idea? Flesh it out a bit. Jot down a few compelling goals and motivations for doing it. Sketch out the main points. Just a page… not a lot at this point.
Jot down a few points related to The Business in a Nutshell Model™ (future chapter in The Book for my subscribers!), such as to whom you’ll be selling.
Start a ToDo list of things to check out later (To do when I get back home and get a high-speed internet connection).
Relevant points to the main idea (things you don’t want to forget but that are flashing rapidly in your head): It seemed clear to me I would need to write a book. So the list included a bibliography of important books I have read, the successes and failures of my career, … and a better diagram of a method of reaching people who would want this knowledge to help them be successful.
Face the fears, write them down, make a list; tame them. The whole idea of rocking my current lifeboat was terrifying. So I started the introspection process (we’ll cover this topic of introspection in a few days from now). This is important. Without confronting any inner fears or emotions, they will derail you at a later point. It’s easier to prepare now, see them for what they are, line them up before making the GO <> NO-GO decision or spending money.
Write down inspirations; are you spiritual? are there books that have inspired you or to which you turn when you need to illuminate your way through darkness (doubt, depression, fears, moods, criticism by others, etc)? Now is a good time to line up your ammunition for the coming battle.
Deep Dive re Goals: especially monetary goals. Exact numbers. How much will you earn? Why? What timeframe? Mold your emotional desires around the things you want to get. Feel the desire emotionally; make it real like a hunger or a thirst. Begin this process now, seeing what you want, visualizing its attainment, hungering for it. Later we’ll spend time discussing this topic of Visioning and its importance. But right now, at the Riverside, I’m just beginning the process of knowing WHAT I want and WHY I want it and HOW MUCH I hunger for it.
Introspection about the current state of your life: make an honest assessment of where you are at and why you want to change your life and direction. You’re about to climb a mountain; you’ve got to be prepared and understand your motivations. You will fail reaching the summit if you haven’t done this work now. Because there will be trials and difficulties of which you cannot image, especially if you have never done this before. You will encounter fierce storms, darkness, resistance, fatigue, and burn-out at various times as you make your way up the mountain. Everything will be denying you and your confidence. If you haven’t prepared now, then it is extremely difficult to take the time out in the midst of battle.
After this inner work is done, and you still are determined to proceed with your business, then you can get started making it happen.
Making it happen
That will be the theme and topic of The Book, and the journey we’ll explore together as I am writing The Book.
For now I’ll say that I’ve worked the Business Idea into stages, each stage with a deliverable. You are seeing the first stage in action now, constructing a web & digital presence (another post’s topic), starting The Book (a few encouraging surprises to be shared in another post), and finding an audience of supporters wanting to share the journey with me: learning, dialoging, and encouraging me as we go. If you are one of those Newbiepreneurs™, please click the Subscribe button below and let’s journey together!
