Back in June 2009, I started work on a business plan using a 20-page template provided by a friend. However, I didn’t finish it (hence my post last December that I didn’t have a plan, even a 1-page one). So I was pleasantly suprised last week when I opened up my half-written plan to find that:
- the bits I had worked on were quite comprehensive
- I have achieved most of the things I intended to do in my first year
- the systems I have set up are helping to protect against the things I identified as threats (e.g. my production assistant helps to offset my tendency to procrastinate and my stuggles with administration tasks)
- although I haven’t always gone in quite the direction I envisaged back in June 2009, where I’ve diverged from the plan, it has been in a better direction.
Those positives boosted my morale, which had been somewhat dented by a few stuff ups in recent weeks. Still, I’m learning from the experience and am working on improving my communication skills (I realise that I can’t expect subcontractors to know what’s in my head unless I tell them!).