Every book I have ever read on being in business for yourself includes a chapter on business plans. Do you need one? Yes and no. How do you like that answer.

Many people say that lack of a business plan is the number one cause of startup failure. It is required if you want to get any kind of loan from a bank. And even though you may never look at it again, the process of writing one helps you flesh out your ideas and define your market.

The point here is, you will most likely run your business by the seat of the pants, so keep it fairly flexible and use your intuition rather than a bunch of numbers. I know this goes against conventional wisdom, but i say rather write your hero’s journey story backed up by a brief (two page max) bird’s eye view type of plan, more a global view than a street map of your business.

I think the macro view two page story is short enough that you will actually look at it now and again after you write it. I also believe that spending two to three months writing a business plan when you could be out doing something to bring in business is silly. If that bucks common business wisdom so be it. My business plan is a story with pictures of my business goals with captions and a one page summary along with a vision statement. It moves me, so it works.