Lesson 7

USS Biz Trek

Lesson 7: Attack Strategy

Briana: It’s pretty in the arboretum today, isn’t it Jeff?

Jeff: How was I supposed to know the virobug was on my backpack?

Briana: What?!! Jeff, you’ve been talking about this for the last two hours. Everyone knows you didn’t mean to bring the virobug onboard. Wendy was just kidding you.

Jeff: There’s no reason to punish me for it. I mean, it was on my backpack, for goodness sake. I can’t see way back there!

Briana: Jeff, nobody’s punishing you. We wanted you to write the mission strategy for getting a new thrust manifold because you’re good at that kind of thing. Besides, it’s not like you have to do it alone or anything. I’m helping you.

Jeff: If I had twelve eyes like a Borg worm, I bet I could’ve seen it. But I don’t.

Briana: Oh forget it!

The Route to Success

Like Jeff’s mission strategy, writing out a business plan is time consuming, but it is also one of the most important things an entrepreneur can do. Starting a business is a lot like taking a road trip from Florida to Alaska. To arrive safely at your destination, you will need a map. In business, our road map is called a business plan.

There are many ways to write a business plan. In the activities for this lesson, you will review at least three different outlines for writing a business plan. No matter what type of plan you decide to use, it should cover these three topics:

Organization: The plan should describe the structure of your business
Marketing: The plan should tell exactly how you will find customers
Finances: The plan should explain your system for handling money

Customizing Your Business Plan

For those just starting out, a business plan may be only one page long. However, a business plan for more experienced entrepreneurs can be many pages long. Whatever form you use, the goal of writing a business plan is to give a clear statement of what you intend to accomplish by starting your business.

No one knows everything when they start

A good business plan does require some research. You may need to take time out to go to the library, make phone calls, visit the Chamber of Commerce, or even talk to other business people. You can also refer to the notes you’ve been making in your USS Biz Trek log.

Expect to update your plan frequently

A business plan is a document that you use over and over. As your business grows and changes, you will need to update your plan. To make this easier, most ‘treps like to keep their business plans on the computer. It is also a good idea to keep a hard copy in an expanding file folder, where you can also accumulate samples of your flyers, business cards, customer lists, contracts, and research materials.

Purposes of a Business Plan

To get a clearer picture of your business
To see if your idea will really work
To plan details you might overlook
To provide structure for operations
To set goals
To explain your business to others
To apply for a loan (if you need one)

To see how other ‘treps have used business plans to set goals and raise money, read Graffiti Art that Pays and Athletic Dance Camps. Then use your browser’s back button to return to this lesson.

Setting Goals for Your Business

All successful entrepreneurs have goals! Goals allow you to measure your performance and make important decisions about your business. Think of it this way. If the navigator of a starship did not have a goal, the ship could wander through the universe forever.

How to set goals:

Put them in writing so you can remember, review, and revise them. This allows you to stay on track or change tracks if something isn’t working well.
Goals also need to be measurable. Instead of saying "I will increase sales," say "I will increase sales by 20% in the next three months."
Set goals that are reachable, but challenging. If you are earning $100 a week, try to double it, for example. A larger increase might be difficult; less than that might be too easy and you will become bored.
Make deadlines for attaining your goals. This helps you chart your growth and keep from getting bogged down.

Managing Your Time

Managing time is important if you want to accomplish your goals. As a business owner, you not only need time to keep customers happy, but you also need time for school, sports, family, and fun. Learn to use these two important time management tools:

An appointment calendar: An appointment calendar can be used to keep track of important dates and times for your business, school, and even social events. It is also a good place to write the dates for accomplishing your business goals. One way to organize your calendar is to use a different color of ink for each type of activity. For example, write important business activities in red ink; school activities in blue; and social activities in green.
A "to-do" list: A "to-do" list can be used to write down everything that you need to do from day to day. First, write down everything that you need to accomplish. Then, choose the five most important things to do tomorrow and write them on a separate sheet of paper. Number them in order of importance. When you get up the next morning, read your list and start on the first item. Don't worry if you don't finish everything on the list every day. With this system, you will always be working on the item that's top priority.

Time to Get Trekkin’

Now that you understand the importance of writing a business plan, use the activities below to get started writing yours today.

Activity #21: A Plan of Action
Activity #22: Short Business Plan
Activity #23: Comprehensive Business Plan
Activity #24: Other Sources for Business Plans
Activity #25: Setting Goals