QUESTION: All the self-help books encourage me to develop a business plan. I believe I know how to run my business, so why should I go to the time and trouble of writing it down?
ANSWER: Reflecting on my own experiences in growing my business I, too, felt I knew the steps necessary to ensure success. Organizations like SCORE, that offers free business counseling to aspiring entrepreneurs, did not exist at the time. I had my share of successes and failures learned in the school of “hard knocks.”