Diamonds - Great Value In Small Packages

“Business Planning On A Postcard Does The Same For The Business Owner”

Success, failure, growth, decline – I’ve seen them all in small business. And, interestingly enough, all these situations have something in common – the appropriateness of their business plan and how they executed that plan.

My name is Kevin Lovewell, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Managers, Australian Institute of Company Directors and of the Institute for Independent Business. I am a qualified accountant, entrepreneur and more; a business coach, CMT accredited master mentor and author of the ebook Business Planning on a Postcard.

People often ask me, “Can small business really create a plan on a postcard?” My answer is “yes, an effective small business plan that covers no more than a postcard is more than possible, it’s practical and effective”. Now, I would like to share with you my most recent ebook and the ideas that have helped others build successful businesses.

Why Many Planning Systems Miss Their Mark

I’ve found that many of the traditional business planning books and software programs based upon academic models begin by inserting loads of theory. A truly practical planning approach is squashed by too many words, excessive detail, and too little understanding of the circumstances actually confronting the business owner.

As a result, most writers are exhausted before they begin. That approach is much like buying the bricks for a building before the architect creates the blueprints. And then, even when you’ve completed their difficult to understand templates, you’re still virtually on your own.

In my ebook, which I am offering for a limited time without charge to current and would-be entrepreneurs, we start with goals, concepts and practical ideas and then work down to the details.

The result – a road map to achieving profitability and significant market penetration in less time and with fewer costs.

The president of a large U.S. based venture capital company once made the comment, “I’ve never seen a business plan yet that lost money.” He went on to say that the plans his company received were about 80% financial projections and only 20% describing their operating plans and goals. “Tell them to reverse it,” was his usual response.

I totally agree. Most people considering a new business fall into the same trap. They spend too much time on the financials and don’t think through the what, how, who and when of creating and running their businesses. And, as a result, many businesses fail to achieve the entrepreneur’s goals.

The postcard method of planning detailed in my ebook doesn’t require a knowledge or input of bookkeeping. Instead, it focuses on the critical factors that entrepreneurs must carefully consider in order to achieve business success.

Forget Those Financial Projections

Anyone can build a set of rosy financials. But, financial projections provide no practical direction. In creating a small business plan that is designed to guide your efforts, it is critical that the energy, enthusiasm and focus of the owners and the employees “work-activity” be directed to the right areas.

“Business Planning on a Postcard” provides the ideal guide to analyzing opportunities, developing strategies, prioritizing activities and putting a plan into action. And, when your business is up and running, consulting this ebook will help you realistically keep score on your efforts.

Your Postcard, Your Path To Business Success

In “ Business Planning on a Postcard ”, we discuss many things that small business plan guides and software don’t generally cover. For instance, how do you guarantee sustainable competitive advantage?

I have seen a number of new companies become an overnight success and fail within a year. It wasn’t that they squandered their money; rather, it was that they squandered their opportunity by not identifying and implementing strategies to define, build and keep that competitive advantage.

In Chapter 8, we discuss how you can avoid this trap – how to identify and capitalize on your competitive advantage.

In all, there are ten chapters, each offering a proven idea or technique needed to build a rock solid small business plan.

Unlike lengthy business plans that many entrepreneurs develop, (and rarely, if ever revisit) you will learn how to develop a plan that is easy to implement and refer to since it will literally fit on a postcard.

Can you succeed with such an abbreviated plan? The answer is definitely “yes.” The small business plan steps in this ebook are based upon the real world experiences of a number of inventors, first-time business owners, and entrepreneurs who have grown or rebuilt their businesses.

In consulting with a number of small business owners, we performed considerable research analyzing their successful and non-so-successful endeavors. When we identified factors that impact small businesses, we then worked backward to evaluate their planning efforts and execution of their plan.

Their experiences and ideas have been summarised into single page “ noodles ” – successful business planning and operational concepts relating to information, education, business & professional development and much more.

Start Planning Your Success Today

“Business Planning on a Postcard” is yours without charge or obligation for a limited time – the noodles you may request when you have learned how this book can help you build your business. Whether you currently own a business or are considering becoming an entrepreneur, you owe it to yourself to build a plan to help you set your direction and remain focused as you create a successful business.

This book has helped hundreds of people new to business, plan and stay focused on building their success. To download your free copy, simply enter your name and email details – and start planning your own success today.

And as an added bonus you'll receive free membership into my Practical Business Advice Newsletter. Your email will not be shared or distributed, and you can unsubscribe at any time easily.

“ Business Planning on a Postcard actually works. Am I surprised, delighted and relieved? You bet I am.

Kevin has such a great manner, energy and style about him - he truly is a pleasure to work with.

Preplanning included throwing out my old 40 page business plan (that was gathering dust in a draw) and completing Kevin's “ business plan on a postcard “ .

For the first time in a very long while, my team and I have perfect clarity on the number one impediment to my business success and for the next 3 months, the only thing to focus on transforming. ”

Kym Power
CEO Rejuvenators

“ I have known about business planning and goal setting for a long time and have never applied it to myself other than in my mind.

When I met Kevin I found his approach to goal setting and his Business Planning on a Postcard to be very practical and simple.

I immediately felt confident with his genuine and straight forward personality.

As a result I have a great plan of action that I am following through with a little guidance from Kevin.

Thanks Kevin, I now proudly continue to confidently grow my business. Working together I have moved from being someone who paints amazing pictures only to being a successful art business owner. ”

Rhonda Brown
Artist

According to the Small Business Advisory Councils' own research, new-start businesses have a 50/50 chance of success.

Even worse, pre-existing businesses in today's economic climate have a less than one in five chance of ever achieving "economic profit" for their owners. Alack of planning is ranked number five on the list of why these businesses fail.

Conversely a recent study of Australia's fasts growing businesses revealed 68 percent had a business plan, and those businesses recorded a growth in profits that was 69 percent faster than competing businesses without a plan.

Therefore, this suggests that simply writing a business plan increases the chances of success by a factor of five. Not planning is like going on a treasure hunt without a compass: expecting to fly solo without taking lessons; or doing the same thing each year and expecting different results.

Background:

Accomplished corporate strategist and risk manager. Kevin has attained formidable success in business in his own right and personal enjoyment in working with business owners from diverse and complex business environments.

High personal integrity, accredited CMT “Master Mentor” certified in Axiology, CBC-Certified Behaviors Coach; CPC-Certified Priorities (Values)

Coaching as an art or science:

When I commenced the journey to attain coaching and mentoring competencies and qualifications, I did so purely for me. To discover what I wanted, what I feared, what motivated me and what held me back. I had a “sort of” purpose and a stated goal, but I wanted greater insight.

I learned then that executive coaches are not for the meek, or for people who consider they are as good as they want to be or can be. They’re for the people who value unambiguous feedback. All good coaches have one thing in common; it’s that they are ruthlessly results oriented.

What they say about Kevin:

"Kevin's ability to help us commercialise our ideas strategically has been testimony to his remarkable skill."

"Kevin is professional, persistent and successful. What more could you ask for in a mentor? And he's a good guy too."

"Kevin is enthusiastic and approachable - yet able to vary his pace and style to suit my needs/mood without him losing sight of his role to prompt and push me!"