Notes to entrepreneurs ­­— channel your creative energy with good planning

For entrepreneurs, the dream of creating something of their own is far more compelling than the security of a paycheck from someone else. Most are idea factories, constantly jotting down thoughts on whatever scrap of paper is handy. The danger is that they can get so caught up in the thrill of generating ideas that they are pulled away from productivity. What many entrepreneurs do not realize is that the right planning and organization can liberate them to do much more than they can in their purely innovative state. The trick is to make use of their traits and talents, not fight against them. For the entrepreneur, the traditional business planning process overlooks two key steps.

The first step is understanding yourself particularly your unique abilities and drivers. Your unique abilities are those things you do better than anyone else. Everybody has at least one so don’t be falsely modest. They often come so naturally they get taken for granted.

Your passions are your drivers. Think of everything you enjoy, professional and personal, whether or not you are currently involved. Does your business support these activities or prevent them? If it gets in the way, you will always feel you are working too hard for too little reward.

Simply knowing your unique abilities and your drivers is not enough, however. You must also understand how they relate to your personality. An assessment such as the DISC profile is an easy, inexpensive, and effective way to better understand how you work, manage, organize, and communicate. It can help you pinpoint strengths as well as areas for improvement, often in ways you are not aware of or would prefer not to face. Having each employee or potential employee also take an assessment makes for much better hiring and promotion decisions.

The second step is describing what success means to you personally. Begin by figuring out what having your own business must do for you, keeping in mind that the business should serve you, not the other way around. What would you be doing? Where? With whom? How much money do you want to make? How do you want to dress? What hours do you want to work? How much time with family, friends, and hobbies? Having this clear and detailed picture is essential to creating a successful plan.

Now you are ready to begin creating what is traditionally regarded as a business plan. Think of it as a roadmap from where you are now to where you want to be. Begin with the salary you want to make, then determine the mix of products, services, marketing, and pricing based on your unique abilities and drivers that will produce that salary.

Building on these essential factors is the difference between a business plan that supports the life you want and one that takes away from it.