Many people think writing a business plan is one of those optional things to do if you have the time. Unless you have a rich spouse, just won the lottery or came into a big inheritance this is not true – especially if you’re quitting a W-2 job to start your own craft business. I wouldn’t even lay out the cash to buy business card before I was happy with the business plan for a new business
I hate to sound like a nagging elderly aunt but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to write a business plan. As you work your way through the plan, you’ll come face to face with all the potential obstacles you will run across starting your craft business.
Writing one can seem overwhelming. Like all things in life, if you break it up into small pieces, preparing one will be a lot easier to do. As you work your way through each problem, you’ll have a better idea if your craft business is good to go, it needs minor modifications or should be scrapped entirely.
I’ve had a few clients in the past that appeared to be the luckiest people on the face of the earth. One in particular opened one shop in a seemingly carefree way and expanded to three more shops in the next two years. This was ten years ago and all four shops are thriving. However, when I sat down with them, it was obvious that much planning went behind opening the first and each subsequent shop. It wasn’t easy – they just made it look easy because I didn’t know all the behind the scenes planning.
Each one has stated writing a business plan was key to their success. So get started on that business plan! It’s your road map to success.
Here’s a couple of great U.S. Small Business Association links to get you started:
