Going into business without the business plan is like running blind on a freeway against the traffic. We hope not get wiped out, but sooner or later we will. This is so true yet so many entrepreneurs seem to plough ahead into the business doing first, thinking second, and we all know where they have ended up.

A business plan is a document that should be created primarily for the purpose of serving the business owner and the business. A good, well written business plan creates a sense of confidence within the business that gives the business a daily true North to steer to. It needs to be a reference document that is read and reviewed on a regular basis. A good business plan will give not only a final destination but also a mapped out course with milestones and checkpoints to guide the business from where it was to where it should be.

The business plan is also used to raise start-up capital (seed funding), angel funding, venture capital funding or even assets funding. The business plan is also vital when looking for partners, contracts or tenders.

So what does a business plan contain? There are many many templates out in the marketplace that can be found on the web each with its own criteria and format. Selecting the incorrect format could be hazardous to both the process and the purpose for your business. In coming posts throughout this month we will explore various options and layouts and give you links to possible formats and templates that can be used in different circumstances.

I want to close this post with one vital bit of information; your business plan must never be written by somebody not connected directly with the business. We have seen too many business plans written by contract consultants that are a copy and paste job filled with crap and misinformation, these business plans are no good for anything other than maybe toilet paper.

This month we are focusing on the Anatomy of a business plan. This is a much discussed and written about topic in the small business sector, and we hope to clear up some of the myths and issues around this during the next month.

So if you are in the need of a business plan, financial plan or wanting to apply for funding, then this is where you need to be during the next 4 weeks.

Not only will we post articles here on this blog and related social media sites, but also our weekly Master class webinars (here) will take you step by step through all the aspects.

A series of video courses will also be posted on Udemy.com that you can attend and get all the required information.

So there is very little excuse for you now to not know how to map out and compile a kick-ass business plan.

In this series I have take a number of ‘F’ words and unpacked some lessons we can all learn from how to do business more effectively and efficiently.

The next set of ‘F’ words are Financially Flippant. Far to many business owners do not know what financial management is or entails. I have seen many business owners living out of the till and treating the businesses money as their own. spending it on personal things, food and fuel and never recording these expenses as such. then when it comes time for reconciliation and financial statements they run around wondering why they struggle with cash flow.

Financially flippant business owners are not able to measure cash flow, manage expenses or risks. They also struggle with growth because there is not a solid base to grow from. Business owners need to become wise in their financial management and measure, manage and reward on all aspects of their business.

This week we celebrate Human Rights day in South Africa. A day when we get to look back at the checked past of our country and celebrate our constitution and the access to human rights as citizens of a free democracy.

Or is it? Jobs and secure employment is still only available to the elite and well connected. Being employed in a stable job is a privilege not a right, as is access to clean water, toilets and housing. The majority of the people in SA are no better off almost 2 decades after the ANC took over. Blame is still placed on Apartheid and the race card is played at every opportunity.

For the majority of people finding income to cover monthly expenses is a constant battle. But yet we see the fat cats of government, corporate and well connected gravy train ride-alongs gleaning huge sums of wealth for themselves and their friends.

Entrepreneurship and self-employment has become a forced way of life for many with little or no support from local government, and no regard to their struggles by central government, SARS or the Labour courts.

The daily grind we see people having to get through in order to survive and trying to make ends meet, whilst trying to cope with the high levels of crime, child abuse and violence against women, is not something we will be celebrating tomorrow.

In this series I have take a number of ‘F’ words and unpacked some lessons we can all learn from how to do business more effectively and efficiently.

The first set of ‘F’ words are Fail Fast. The ability for any business to fail is often frowned upon, especially by your accountant and bank manger. Failure is just not why we went into business in the first place so we try to hide it and deny it and ignore the very fact it happened at all.

But a true Entrepreneur has to learn to embrace failure and more importantly to fail fast. Learn to recognise the signs of a failure, embrace it and get it over with as soon as possible. Put it up as school fees fix the cause and resolve any outstanding issues that may require your focus.

Failing fast reduces costs of denial and dragging it out in some blame game with suppliers or customers. People, being customers, will better sympathise with you if you admit up front where you screwed up or went wrong than if you try to hide the truth and then it all comes out later.

Fail Fast, learn and get back on the horse to ride another day.