The Empty Toolbox Conundrum

Imagine someone hands you an empty toolbox and says, “Build me a car.” You stand there, toolbox in hand, with a vague idea of what a car looks like but no clue about what specific model you’re supposed to build, let alone what tools you’ll need in your toolbox. Will it be a sleek electric vehicle requiring specialized equipment for its battery and motors, or are you reconstructing a classic 1969 Camaro with its own set of unique challenges? The range of tools you might need spans from the standard to the metric, each choice branching off into thousands of possibilities. 

This scenario mirrors the daunting task of drafting a business plan or pitch deck for your venture.

Your business model is the car you’re building. The structure of your business plan acts as the toolbox, and the choices you make to fill it — from market analysis to financial strategies — are the tools. Just as you wouldn’t use a wrench to fix a circuit board, applying irrelevant choices to your business plan can derail your entrepreneurial journey before it even begins.

The Rusty (Or Non-Existent) Toolset Dilemma

Picture this: You’re about to start a new business or launch a startup. Your banker or investor tells you they want to see your business plan. There’s just one small hiccup — the business planning skills toolbox you’re supposed to have is either gathering dust in the back of your mental garage (you haven’t thought about a business plan since Intro to Entrepreneurship 301 in college) or, let’s be real, might not even exist. Business planning isn’t exactly a skill that’s kept in prime condition, ready to be wielded at a moment’s notice.

Sure, you might have a couple of tools that you use with some confidence. Perhaps you’re a wizard at SWOT analysis, or you have a solid grasp of your Profit & Loss statement. But what about the entire arsenal needed to assemble a comprehensive business plan? That’s a different story. Most entrepreneurs aren’t walking around with a fully stocked, shiny toolbox like some sort of Jeff Bezos, who insists on business plan-level clarity for every significant decision. But let’s face it, we’re not all Jeffs, nor should we aspire to be.

The truth is, you probably have a day job, or maybe you’re already running a business full-time. Who has the bandwidth to keep every single business planning tool clean, organized, rust-free, and up-to-date? While in an ideal world, we’d all have these skills at the ready, constantly honed to perfection, the reality often falls short. 

And that’s perfectly okay.

That’s precisely why we built Businessplan.com. 

This website is a nod to the fact that, yes, not everyone has the time or resources to maintain a perfect toolkit for business planning. And really, that’s fine. We’re not all meant to be master craftsmen in the art of business plans. What’s important is recognizing when you need to polish up those tools, seek out new ones, or maybe even get a little help to fill in the gaps. 

And if you’re reading this, chances are, that’s exactly what you’re here to do.

The Garbage In, Garbage Out Principle

Let’s revisit our car-building metaphor, but this time with a twist. 

You’re considering outsourcing some of the work to a seasoned mechanic, someone who knows their way around an engine block better than you know the back of your hand. It’s a smart move, right? But here’s the rub: if your instructions are as vague as “make it fast” without specifying whether you’re aiming for a drag racer or an Indy car, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. This scenario is a textbook example of the “garbage in, garbage out” principle in the context of business plan development.

The essence of this principle is simple yet profound: the output quality directly correlates with the input quality. Hiring a professional business plan writer might seem like bringing in a master chef to save your dessert disaster. But even Gordon Ramsay can’t make a Michelin-starred dish if all he has are some stale crackers and questionable cheese. 

“I wouldn’t trust you running a bath let alone a restaurant.” – Gordon Ramsay

In other words, your involvement and understanding of the fundamentals of your business are crucial ingredients. No matter the skill level of the chef (or in this case, the writer), the result will inevitably fall short of expectations. And in all likelihood, they’ll hate you, if only under their breath. 

Okay, now that I’ve mixed metaphors, back on track (pun intended)…

This doesn’t mean you should shy away from seeking professional help. On the contrary, hiring a business plan writer can be likened to bringing in a specialist to fine-tune your car’s performance. However, this collaboration requires your involvement — not just as a spectator but as an active participant, a prepared participant (emphasis on the prepared). You wouldn’t expect your team to win a race with a car you don’t know the first thing about, just as you can’t expect to achieve business success with a document (business plan) where you’ve never done any of the foundational planning.

Your role in this partnership is to provide the raw materials: your product and service prices and cost of goods sold, your competitive advantage, unique selling points, planned vendors and key partnerships, and more. It’s about ensuring that the “tools” you have in your toolbox are of the highest quality. Only then can a professional help you assemble these pieces into a coherent, compelling business plan that drives your venture forward.

The business planning process begins with a solid grasp of the essentials before you hire help. 

We invite you to explore the Plan & Pitch section of Businessplan.com, where you’ll find a “toolbox” full of “tools” designed to demystify the business planning process. This comprehensive guide is tailored to arm you with the fundamental knowledge needed to craft a compelling business plan or pitch deck.

Okay, enough with the cheesy metaphors. This is Brent, signing off!