Many businesses were the result of a “great idea”. Unfortunately, for some business owners, the idea may have been there, but the business plan wasn’t. Those are the businesses you don’t hear about. Opinions vary on the importance of a business plan. Some either find themselves without the time, resources, or feel they lack the experience to craft one. Others, just can’t seem to find the need for one.

So, you may ask yourself, “Is a business plan really necessary?”. I would answer with a resounding “yes”, and here’s why. Ideas are a dime a dozen and don’t amount to much if you don’t have a solid business operation in place to make it happen. Building that solid business operation takes time, money and commitment. Your ability to do each one effectively will mean the difference between your ideas paying off, and having that idea be just a “remember when” moment for when you grow older.

Business plans ground you in the reality of the day-to-day, step-by-step operation of building your business and bringing your idea to fruition. A business plan can help you focus on simple fundamentals like showing up every day, returning phone calls, and presenting value to your customers. It may not encompass the fun or excitement of generating ideas, but it is a big MUST.