| There are several advantages of a business plan | | | | those unimportant parts, it will leave you with an |
| template. It's designed to be very user friendly for | | | | incomplete business plan outline that's close to being |
| getting financing and funding to start your business. It | | | | useless. Sometimes you have to forget about |
| also provides direction and strategy, keeps employees | | | | performance numbers, growth projections and other |
| on track and helps avoid costly mistakes later. | | | | typical "pie in the sky" business plan drivel and focus on |
| Although the advantages are all valuable, there are of | | | | the one basic necessity that all small businesses |
| course also some significant disadvantages to using a | | | | (including start-ups) need in order to grow and thrive: |
| template. Remember that a template is after all- a | | | | Ways to bring in the cash. And if you're just starting |
| template- it limits creativity. Just as your business is | | | | out, this will be even more critical to your success |
| subject to changing marketing conditions, you want | | | | since the most important activities of any new |
| your plan to be accommodating for growth. If you | | | | business are to generate prospective customers, sell |
| want your business to progress, you can't settle for | | | | them products and services to keep the business |
| what you put in writing because it makes it hard to | | | | growing. Far too many entrepreneurs believe that by |
| see the situation realistically. Templates also most | | | | using downloaded templates, they can cut short the |
| often tend to be too general. For you to survive in | | | | planning process and cut down the planning cost. Keep |
| today's economy you have to be trusted as the go to | | | | in mind, the real value of doing a business plan is not |
| person or brand in your respectable niche. Your | | | | having the finished product, but the process of |
| business should have unique needs, features and | | | | research and thinking about your business in a |
| offerings. A general template will not necessarily | | | | systematic way. A template alone is not enough to |
| provide every detail to help you prosper in your niche. | | | | make a good plan it takes other variables such as the |
| Sure it can guide you, but it may not help your business | | | | skills of writer, planning skills and tools working together |
| survive. | | | | for the best outcome. |
| Another disadvantage is that a template in some | | | | Although templates are one of the most helpful things |
| instances can be a waste of time and ineffective. | | | | that happened in business planning, before you even |
| Most templates appear to be extensive but when | | | | consider using one for your plan, decide if it limits your |
| closely evaluated, are unnecessary sections that are | | | | imagination or flexibility to grow your business. |
| irrelevant to your planning needs. As you eliminate | | | | |