A few key websites I would recommend:
- High level business plan suggestion – http://blog.guykawasaki.com/#axzz1j9so32SI I am listening to Guy’s Reality Bites and they echo so much the experiences of many who have been successful in growing a business and getting capital investment. Guy started his success at Apple, but along the way has become a successful venture capitalist, and therefore has sat through many many business presentations. He has learned what works from the perspective of will it get someone to write a check and do a deal.
- I have mentioned Seth Godin a few times, I particularly recommend Linchpin
A mindset for new business creation or anyone trying to earn a living
His writing style is light and fun, but I think his ideas are pretty fundamental to the way the new world is. It tells the story that trying to be 2nd best or worse is hardly worth getting out of bed in the morning. Be the best – 2 ways:
- Be ‘fortunate’ enough to be the best in a ‘standard’ area.
- Be creative enough to define your niche of being best. The key is you should be able to introduce your self as ‘the best ………’ in a way that everyone you meet knows it is the truth. That may be by geography, or creating a new market segment or reframing an existing segment but be the best.
- Here is the story of the marketing and passionate niche I was telling a few clients about. http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelellsberg/2012/01/11/the-tim-ferriss-effect/ It demonstrates how the world of broadcast over narrow-casting has passed as absolute law. Our markets are large enough (over 303million in US alone) and flat enough (2 day for under 2 pounds, but so much is the speed of internet) and segmented enough (how many Yahoo groups are there today, how many Meetup groups are there today in your area). So many business owners keep trying to get the ‘big’ publicity hit and fail to understand that most success comes from targeting the key people you want to connect with. That success from connection individually rather then exposure of many.
- Explore your business using the Business Model Canvas. I have worked with many different start-ups.
A new way to get to the Truth of a business plan
Along the way, I have built a variety of questionnaires that I found very helpful for all to understand and clarify what the real objective and strategy. Having recently found this 1 page tool, I find it naturally replaces my flat mini-book of questions with a single sheet that is far more action oriented, less overwhelming and more action oriented.
- And of course, there is the E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber.
