Yes it did, Pam. Thank you for all the help. Now to get going and start on it. It looks daunting, but it won't get done unless I just do it. *sigh*

Thanks again!

My first crack at a business plan probably took me about six weeks to research, write and prepare just working on it about a half day a week. The added bonus was that it got me REALLY clear on what I was meant to focus on and do. About a year later, I went through it again and made some big changes, keeping what was working, and discarding what wasn't and that actually helped me to focus my efforts more clearly on what I WANTED to do, and I found myself finally making money instead of re-investing it all in the business. That was the keeper for me--money in the bank account meant that things were finally working.
Now I review the plan regularly to make sure that I am on track with where I want to be, and that I am not being distracted by activities that do not pay off. I do the same with my marketing plan, which is a part of my business plan that really drives what I do.
Hope that helps.

Gosh! There is a lot of work to this. I joined and downloaded everything I could and printed out everything there was to print. It is going to take me a while to figure it all out. Did it take you long to do it? I mean make a working plan draft?

I'm not sure Sue, but then since there is no cost to it, there's nothing to lose really. So, I say Go For It! The more we can glean from free resources, the more of our disposable income we can invest in things like marketing, delegating...and getting down to business.

Thanks for the link, Pam. I downloaded the 4 files. I almost signed up for the free online software. I wasn't sure how it worked. Have you used it? Do you think it is worth my time?

Thanks again for all the help!

I think sometimes that the thought of creating a business plan is tougher than the actual creation of a plan. If you check out the link that I put in my earlier post, there's lots of info there Sue. I think the benefit is that having one forces us to do the things that bring us income. There's nothing wrong with that at all!

I have no idea how to write a business plan. I have read lots of books on marketing and setting up businesses but never could get the business plan part of it into my brain.

Any websites or information you can share as to how to do it? I am sure there are others out there that don't have a clue either.

I think that one of the key aspects to having a business plan is that it helps to keep me on track. I am often tempted to try all kinds of stuff, and so I had to discipline myself to be able to stand back and say no when it doesn't fit the biz plan, which I review regularly (although I actually check my marketing plan more frequently than the biz plan). Otherwise I spin my wheels on stuff that I thought was interesting but isn't bringing me any actual business. If something is really interesting and I think will make sense, then it has to be possible to incorporate it into the marketing and business plans or I don't do it.
Although I have a business plan for my business (MVPi) I actually have not written a business plan for my novel, but am in the process of doing so now.

The BDC site has some great templates and information on creating a business plan, and will work for any business (i.e. you can use the info here Sue unless you applied for funding; I imagine that the American banks have something specific they would look for on the financials).
Click Here to Learn About Business Plans

I was told to write I book. I wrote it.

I was told to start a publishing company. I am now a publisher.

I was told to publish the book I wrote. Life is Like Making Chocolate Chip Cookies was published in January of this year.

I was told to market my book. For the little bit of marketing I have done the book is selling well.

Nothing was mentioned about a business plan. So now, what do I do? Where do I go from here?