Do You Need a Business Plan?

I get this question very often, many startups ask me how to put a business plan together, what goes into a basic plan, and how long does it have to be? Well unfortunately the answer is, “It depends”. But that is also fortunate!

You see, every business is different. Some are single member, some may have contracted services. Some may have goals to scale big in 3 years. The needs will all vary and they will all need different kinds of plans. But a plan is needed.

Here is a short video explaining my why on this:

There are several approaches to getting a business plan going. BPlans has a simple one, or if you want to use their Live Plan service it’s very intuitive and you could turn one out in a month if you were focused. There is still the one page canvas if you’re just looking to map things out as well.

Whatever the need is, look at what you are asking of the business. If it’s sales volume, generating exposure, or gathering following you’ll have to have those things in your business plan. Use S.M.A.R.T. goals if you can, and have a coach or trusted peers help you out if you can. I hope this is helpful, leave any questions in the comments below, happy to help!

For many years I’ve  been fascinated by dream interpretation and symbolism. I’ve always felt as if there were important lessons to be gained from our subconscious mind processing our day’s happenings. One perspective I came across a few years back was looking closer at animal symbolism and interpretation. I’m a huge fan of Carl Jung and his work on archetypes and dreams and I find his style of symbolism to be intriguing and useful.

This could be a huge post, hundreds of pages long if I weren’t careful so I’m keeping it focused on animal symbolism. One very useful book I like to reference is called Animal Speak by Ted Andrews. He draws upon a very spiritual look on how animal symbolism had played out in North American history and how it can still be relevant today.

One technique I like to use is to read about the animal symbols and how they were interpreted by medicine men and shamans. His book will talk about animal behaviors as well as traditional history and interpretations of animal symbolism. Then it wraps up with possible interpretations of animal symbolism and what it might mean in the reader’s life. Here are a few examples:

Hawks:

Associated with Visionary Power and Guardianship as well as higher levels of consciousness. How would you feel that vision and soaring to new heights is relevant to your world right now?

Coyote:

Associated with Wisdom and Folly, sometimes coyotes are incredibly wise and understanding creatures but if those around you don’t understand, you may need to simplify things in order to communicate that perspective. They also hunt in packs by coordinating and cooperating. Is cooperation an aspect of one’s life that needs work?

Frogs:

Associated with transformation. Since frogs start off as tadpoles in water, and then eventually grow legs to navigate on land, there is a tremendous amount of adaptation and trasformation in this symbol. Are there aspects of life which need transformation in order to move forward? Since frogs start off in water and then land, how do the elements of Earth and Water become relevant?

Sometimes these animal symbols won’t make sense when you first think about dreams and what plays out. But in the context of a deeper wisdom it may illuminate a much needed perspective on what is going on in one’s life. But if a bizarre dream of your parents sitting in water holding a frog doesn’t make sense, try thinking of the wisdom of the symbols and consider if a moving beyond old family patterns and transforming the self to something beyond that would be a benefit.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a reference book that will give meaning/interpretation to cover all situations but consider what animal symbolism could teach you. One must make their own assessments and interpretations based on situational and personal relevance. Are there animals you seem to be naturally drawn to? Have there been odd symbols that didn’t make sense but could have a deeper meaning? Feel free to share some things that stand out or seem like they would be worth exploring, I’m curious.

There is an interesting concept I came across in some of my Eastern studies relating to the five elements. In Chinese astrology for example, not only is there an animal symbol for your birth sign but also a corresponding element relating to what part of that year you were born in. Also in certain Tibetan traditions, five elements were useful in bringing balance to the self. Let me lay out a summary of the elements and what they may mean.

Earth: This is a very solid, grounding type of energy. Things like dirt, metal, and stone are examples of this. The Earth element can bring about stability, heaviness, or solid protection if needed.

Water: A very flowing, fluid type of energy. Water conforms to it’s container, holds no shape of its own, and is less dense than Earth. It can represent the ability to flow with changes around the self, is sometimes associated with vast ‘oceans’ of wisdom, and other times can be a tsunami of force.

Fire: This energy is passion, motivation, drive, and motion. The element of fire also tempers and purifies. Sometimes things need to be burned away to give way to something new, this is another way in which fire can help.

Air: The element of air also takes the form of wind, fresh perspective, change, and freedom. Very light and expansive, air can be a sense of peace and freedom in certain cases.

Space: This element is the fifth element, a little more abstract. All matter occupies space, this is where the potential lies. The larger the space the more one can allow in to certain situations. It can be expansive or restrictive depending on the need.

In all of this lies the concept of balance. Within all of us is aspects of all of these elements and a certain strength in each of these. The energies of these elements can be strong, weak, or in a relative harmony. The goal is to try and assess where each of these reside and what type of adjustment may be needed.

For example, I worked with a manager who tended to be hot-headed. When too many things came his way he tended to be short, make rash decisions and at times lash out. Interestingly enough, one of his favorite past times was boating. He felt relaxed and peaceful while on his boat. In this case his element of fire was probably too strong and water was a way to ‘flow’ better and even out some of his temper.

In another case, a job seeker who is unhappy in their position but is afraid to leave the security of where they are, may actually have too much Earth element (grounding) and could use a little fire to motivate.

Another example could be the pessimist who thinks that they are out of options and can’t actually change their situation. This individual would benefit from increasing the element of space to allow in possibility as well as increasing the element of air to usher in some fresh ideas and perspective.

It gets interesting when you start using elements to assess workplace culture, work styles and leadership styles. When elements are incorporated into the perspective then it sometimes is easier to see potential solutions to change. A stagnant work culture may need more fresh ideas (air), then introducing new trainings or newer personnel may be useful.

What I suggest now is thinking about these concepts in different aspects of work and life and see if you can measure them:

1. What elements seem to be more prevalent?

2. How do you think they are weighted? Too much, too little, neutral or in balance?

3. What counter elements could be introduced to bring a better balance?

4. What activities or solutions could reflect those counter balancing elements?

Let me know what you think, I’m curious to hear your assessments!

Ok, I know it’s been too long but I’ve been regrouping and putting together some new ideas.  Much more to come, stay tuned in the next 4 weeks for more updates, new visual, and of course more quirky content.

So anyone who knows me and hears “Quirky Optimist” usually stops, has 2.5 seconds of thought and then lights up because it really fits!  But what does it mean?  Here is the first of many posts on “What is a Quirky Optimist” which will include references to influences on my humor, perspective, and philosophy on life.  So here are several things that you could call quirky influences on me, enjoy:

Monty Python troupe of the 70’s spawned so many great actors, I really appreciated their dry sense of humor.  Love these clips including the Ministry of Silly Walks  and the Constitutional Peasant.  (You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power because a watery tart threw a sword at you!)

The Tick was a 90’s comic about all the rejected superheroes and how they get assigned to “The City” to fight the villains (which seemed to be of equal quality).  This episode of The Little Wooden Boy had all the elements including a pretend side kick, the Swiss industrial spies which used gigantic Swiss army knives, and a giant whale who runs across the continent.  Does all this make sense, no.  But pretty entertaining.

The movie Student Bodies was a horror movie from 1981 which was actually more of a spoof on the saturated genre at the time.  Think of it like a Scary Movie before spoofs were really popular.  Much of this movie was absurd and I loved the sense of humor in it.  And it has a rubber chicken scene.

Other quirky things about me include my love of Subaru Boxer Engines, sleeper cars, red wine (due to my appreciation of Three Musketeers stories).  I had pet ferrets for a while, now just a shih-tzu with a very strong opinion on how things should go.  I make my own stir fry sauces (because they’re better that way!) and have at least 4 ways to make my own coffee.  I am a coffee snob by the way…

But also I’m an optimist because I choose to be.  I feel that every day we all have choices in how we act as well as respond to the world around us.  I feel like we can choose between optimism and pessimism.  If I thought we didn’t have free will I’d likely be a pessimist, however since I see there are choices and we can (to reasonable degrees) have control over our situations that it only leaves optimism as a responsible solution.  If we can make the most of what we have, likely we will get more than if we didn’t try at all.  I have a post I wrote on Berni Xiong’s site about how Muhammad Ali was an inspiration to keep swinging, and how it is possible to make change.  I’ve found in my life that if you try, you can make something happen.

     There are many reasons to take your career seriously but I wanted to share a concept I came across 18 months ago that makes managing that a little more clear. In a conversation with an Assistant Dean at one of the local Universities, Sam White spoke to me about Career Entrepreneurship. It’s the concept of managing one’s career, almost like a business. This may sound dry or too corporate but this strategy can apply to almost any career path. Here is my take on it…

     In managing a business, an owner needs to be conscious of who their audience is and what the demand is for their commodity/product/service/experience*. Being able to satisfy that demand and reach into new markets is how organizations pay the bills. Pretty basic. But how can one do the same with their career? Use similar principals such as differentiation, growth and marketing.

     Differentiation: With so many choices out there, why would a person choose Starbucks over Peet’s or Caribou? Each has a different approach to doing the same type of business like theme, product quality, or core values. You as a job seeker are the same. There may be many similar applicants with similar training but who you are is what makes you different. It’s important to know what value you have and bring to the table, that’s what stands out on an application or interview. Use this to your advantage, discover why you’re different and what personal traits you have that others don’t.

     Growth: Life is change and as long as we are alive, we can continue to grow. So what do we want to do once we land this position? Is another degree or certificate necessary? Perhaps a promotion is a target goal. Whatever it may be, it’s important to have an idea of where to go next. Otherwise one can get stagnant and lose momentum. Have you ever wanted to make a change but not sure where to go? That is common (been there myself) but to move forward you should probably have an idea of what possibilities there are. If you don’t know then you could ask someone in that field or talk to someone in a career center or job development agency. Rely on your network to help keep you energized, sometimes we need people’s help and by talking about these possibilities it can give you that spark you need.

     Marketing: This is a way to keep your professional self out there. We’re aware of many products out there because there are messages like TV commercials, magazine ads and billboards to raise awareness. You can do the same for yourself with social media including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. What you put out there is visible to others and if you craft your message tactfully and tastefully you can gain a following of like minded people. Utilize things like this that you already do to help portray what you want without too much extra effort. If you do go this route I’d suggest doing some research on personal branding, there are many professionals out there that have made businesses out if it.

     These are 3 things you can do to help manage your career more closely. The thing I like about it is that you take control over it instead of letting someone else decide for you. I’m a strong advocate of self control and one’s career has plenty of room for this. It also gives you a fighting chance in a tight economy. Better to adapt to the times than to wonder what happened to you. It’s your life and your path, make what you can out of it!

I’ve taken a short hiatus on writing, I’ve been quite busy building changes in my life (new job, new organizations, trying to relocate) but I need to share something. When a profound influence crosses one’s path there tends to be a node. At these nodes things can either continue on the same direction or redirect onto a new path. In my life it has either been books I’ve read or people I’ve met and I need to share one of these recent influences.

But first I need to share the change. I’ve been taking my life in a positive, new direction but actually going back on the path I’ve been trying to go down for a long time. Things like coaching, counseling, meditation, and workshops have helped me completely change my life for the better. This post is going to focus on one individual and his works though. Through my interactions with him I got past something. I’ve historically on the inside had a somewhat pessimistic view on mankind. I’ve had faith but not necessarily faith in humanity. Maybe it’s the existential literature I grew to love in my college days or the pessimistic media that shaped that belief but it pains me to admit this but I just didn’t have faith that the world could change for the better. Now I don’t mean transactional skills like math, mechanics, law, medicine, degrees, promotions or actions like that. I meant really the transformational evolution that took a person from one way of being to another. One lifestyle change, or state of mind, as a collective.

For me this was maybe some kind of problem created by my ego (in the colloquial sense as well as Jungian) but fortunately there have been things shattering my ego lately and I mean that in a very positive sense. I’ve come across a reason to no longer hold on to that pessimism, to fully (not partially) believe in humanity. I’ve looked at my own judgmental part of me and been able to let go of something. Maybe it’s me letting go of fear that things won’t be able to be better in this world. Maybe I’m in touch with something greater than fear or logic or probability. Maybe I’m ready to embrace the possibility of positivity and a greater love in this world.

I believe now that all people can choose to be what they want to be. I believe that all people can change no matter where they are in life. I don’t care what statistics or probability lead me to conclude, I believe now that no matter what the circumstances are that anyone can at any time open themselves up to the possibility of change for the better. I no longer have 70 year old philosophy holding me back. I no longer have the shadow of doubt limiting my belief system. I’ve been able to let that go.

I met a man named Arno Micheals this year and he is the reason I’ve been able to let those things go. Arno has written the amazing story of events he’s gone through and shared his changes in life with me. His book and story can be found here:

The Book

Arno tells the story of his hateful past but also how he was able to escape the dark clutches of hate. His powerful imagery made me look at some dark aspects of life but understand that in any of that, there could be a light shining somewhere that opens the door for positive transformation. In one of our conversations Arno had told me the stories of others who have made similar transformations. I’m not sure I would have heard these stories had I not met him but I certainly would not have my total faith in humanity either. Check out Arno’s organization, Life After Hate, and be amazed at the stories people share. Consider donating to this cause because many are making transformations based on his work. Here’s the website:

Life After Hate

Thank you Arno for changing my view on humanity. Thank you for helping me get past my pessimistic view of mankind and helping me get past my ‘faith in good but not faith in humanity’ state of being. You are one of the amazing ones, friend.

-Jason

I was thinking back to a situation that occurred about 5 years ago. I was managing a Starbucks and one of my regular customers was a car enthusiast. He had a 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo S (a $140,000 car mind you) and man did he keep this thing sharp. He consistently cleaned it, treated the leather seats, and made sure to do the proper washing and waxing to keep things immaculate. He and I got to talking about what we liked about cars and he (very unexpectedly) gave me the keys and told me to take it for a spin.

What?

Yes, he wanted me to test drive it and let me know how it felt. I told him that I’d love to but would be pretty nervous driving someone else’ car, especially one that was a six-figure car. He convinced me by saying he’d be in the passenger seat. So I did take it out and was caught very off guard by a car that can hit 0-60 in 4.3 seconds! He did make me do a sprint and then some freeway driving and let me tell you I learned a new appreciation for automotive engineering.

A month later I found out that he traded it in for the 2005 model. He then wanted me to drive that one to give my input on the differences. There were some slight model improvements, and he was unsure if it was that significant a difference. I drove that one on the freeway, no sprinting though as there was less than 500 miles on the odometer.

When I got back, we had a good talk about the differences and feel of the car. He then shared that he takes great joy out of sharing what he has in life. He had done very well financially but really thought things were only valuable if they were able to be enjoyed by the people he knew.

I was floored. I think most people who had a $140k+ vehicle would be very protective and worried about their expensive possession, but not him. But that taught me a wonderful lesson. It is easy to get caught up in preserving and protecting but really it is more important to share what you have. If you get over the fear, then you can share what you have/are and then really allow others in too. Life shouldn’t be an exclusive club but really a way to share our experiences and help each other out.

A year later I was at a park and noticed a girl who was having car troubles. I went over to help and assessed it was a corroded battery and needed a jump. At the time I had my Celica GT which happened to be one of her favorite cars. While I was working on getting her car started I unlocked mine, tossed her the keys and told her to check it out. She was floored! I said that it was no big deal and that if she wanted to sit in it and look around the engine. She loved it and said that it would be one of the cars she wanted to get in the future. It was a little thing to me but was just happy to share. Now it wasn’t the same as what I went through, but nice to be able to have a similar impact.

So what would you like to share? What guarded possession or attribute would make someone’s day? What would you need to let go of to share that one thing? It’s an interesting give and take process but one I’d invite you to try out. It’s worth it!

I recently noticed a nail in one of the stairs that leads into my basement. It started poking up about a quarter inch or so and found it quite annoying. This happened one time before and found there are 2 ways to handle it:

The first time this happened I found it annoying. Occasionally I’d step on it and get annoyed. Then I started remembering where it was and then stepped just to the side of it. Occasionally my sock would get caught on it and one time I even tripped when carrying some laundry. Luckily I didn’t fall and remembered to step to the side. Eventually I kept stepping on it and tripped one more time and then used expletives and got really angry. There was about 18 months of this and I finally got a hammer and pounded it down.

The second time I noticed it I got a hammer right away and pounded it down.

Lesson here is that when there is a minor obstacle in your way, you don’t need to get mad, or curse or even avoid the situation. Small roadblocks are easily dealt with and once dealt with you don’t need to even think about it. I think of how foolish I would have felt if I would have tripped, got injured, all because I didn’t grab a hammer. Man, how lame!

If you find a small roadblock in your way and know how to deal with it then just do. Don’t put it off.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered-Japanese proverb