One Page Business Plan

Your business plan is like a map to your destination. You set your goals and intentions, and base your business decisions on where you want to take your business in the coming year. Designing your map can feel overwhelming, especially when you try to consider all the aspects of the business that you’re trying to manage.

I love the concept of a One Page Business Plan! And the way Jim Horan presents it in his books is fabulous! His presentation is clear, concise, purposeful, complete and effective. The icons in the left margin of the page make the form appealing. The simplicity of the five contained spaces is reassuring and led me to feel that “I can do this!”

I am such an advocate for ONEpage™ anything, that I especially appreciate this strategy. For those of us who have never written a business plan, the whole process can be intimidating. Limiting the plan to one page forced me to focus on my priorities. It removed the “fluff” and led me directly to the tough decisions I needed to make.

The simplicity of this “one page” approach, combined with numerous examples of real business plans for different types of businesses offered in the book, enabled me to draft my own plan in one sitting. Although it will take some time and experience to refine that draft into a workable and effective plan, I now have a starting point, a map from which to navigate.

Note that Jim Horan partnered with Tamara Monosoff in 2010 to write a version of his book specifically directed towards women in business. The latest book (July 2015) is directed towards Creative Entrepreneurs.