Writing up business plans: discrimination

experiMental

I have noticed in my college, that if one can't write up a good business plan but has a good idea for it, then he/she is deemed impractical. In other words, if you can't write up a decent business plan, you are not taken seriously in the business community.

Some people are dyslexic and others have English as their second or third language, or others don't know central concepts of business management. Yet they may have good business ideas, and are required to write an extensive and detailed business plan to start them.

I have a business idea for an enterprise competition, but I found it difficult to get someone to help me with the planning aspect. Whoever I have asked, said that I should write it myself, even though I know next to nothing about accounting, and how to sell a concept to a business. That's what a lot of people mention. The rules of the competition state that I could work with students from business faculty, yet many of these students refuse to work with non-business faculties.

Why is this happening? If that's the logic, then everyone should build a house for themselves on their own, and fix a car by themselves.

I know that there are centres for business incubation and assistance in regional colleges, but that's not enough to get the country running. For some people, having a business means earning enough money to live normally.

Would it be a viable option to adapt existing companies like Accenture to cater for a large number of small businesses, with lower application fees for them? I mean, pay someone to write a business plan.

egan007

Only advice I can give you is to be above the line or below the line.
Those below the line in business generally blame everyone else. (and recessions)
Those above the line understand that a successful business is dependent on them being responsible for everything that happens to it.

Richard Branson is Dyslexic but never made an excuse.
Nobody is born with the ability to write a Business plan, you dont' kneed to be a genius.
If you want some good ideas on how to write a business plan without being an accountant read Duncan Bannatines book 'Anyone can do it'

Bandara

I've never written a business plan in my life.

Never has been a issue. I know no one will agree but I think they are very much overrated as some gospel thing you need to do.

Hammertime

Hammertime wrote: »

I've never written a business plan in my life.

Never has been a issue. I know no one will agree but I think they are very much overrated as some gospel thing you need to do.

But have you worked out the numbers for a given business ? Or have you written ideas down ? Or even worked off a one page scrap of paper detailing a business ?

If so, then you've written a business plan. If not, then Gifted.

chowdown

I think it's vital to write some sort of plan. Even if it is, as Deleted User says, a scrap of paper with some numbers on it.

You can work with a proof-reader or editor to help you with the language, spelling and layout at some point in the future, but in the short-term, it helps to have something written down from your own mind.

Bandara

Deleted User wrote: »

But have you worked out the numbers for a given business ? Or have you written ideas down ? Or even worked off a one page scrap of paper detailing a business ?

If so, then you've written a business plan. If not, then Gifted.

tbh honest i know the viability of a business I am interested in pretty much straight away in my head, if you understand a partiuclar business inside out then you immediately know if its a runner. I try to stick to areas that I have expertise in.

Accountsplus

Preparing a business plan has a number of outcomes.

It makes you clarify your thinking - your basic assumptions, relationships between sales and the various cost elements. the amount of working capital required etc, etc.

It enables you communicate all that to a funder.

If someone came to me and said "I have it all in my head, but I can't put it on paper" then I would conclude that it's not that clear in their head.

If it's that clear to you, it will not take too long to put it on paper.
If it's not that clear then you need to find out now, not later.

It will be worth the effort of doing the plan.

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

The thing with a business plan is that many consider it a process of thinking through the idea and understanding / predicting where the problems may arise. Its not actually about having a written business plan in your hand, the day you finish writing it's already out of date. But you really need to understand how you are going to raise the capital and make the sales. There is nothing complicated about writing a business plan at all, download a comprehensive business plan layout here and work your way through filling in the details.

About being dyslexic, I'm dyslexic and it just means your brain is wired differently - in business this can be a very good thing and by no means something that holds me back, so you shouldn't let it be a limiting factor either.

You maybe should step back and wonder why you can't motivate other people to see the potential in your idea or partnering with you. Is your approach right, have they been pre-qualified, are your making them see the value in the project, have you clearly explained whats in it for them, do they agree your idea is commercially viable??? All these things are very important.

Also there is a huge advantage to being in a college situation, make an appointment to see the lecturer in entrepreneurship and explain your situation (and idea). They will give you a step by step plan to execute.