Starting a business, whether online or offline is not exactly easy. There are so many things to think of and so many things to do. You have to have enough resources, a good venue, a market to capture and enough workforce to start with. And as if you need more, you also have to worry about licenses, complicated paper works and other permits. To someone who is a novice in all these things, it makes starting a business quite a scary thought. But that scary thought is something that can be subdued by writing a business plan. This plan puts everything to order like your company profile, objectives, long and short – term goals. However note that writing this plan is also not easy. You have to do research and you have to put your thought in to it. You have to follow a certain format that will put everything in perspective. Luckily enough, you can find business plans examples or even templates if you just know where to look.

So where should you start looking you ask?

There are two places where you can find business plans examples. One is in the Internet and two – in books.

The Internet is a good source because you can find business plans that will tailor fit any industry that you may want to get into – be it a food business, boutique or service – based venture. With samples in the Internet, you can also find plans of thriving businesses. And to someone who is just starting out, checking out plans of successful businesses can greatly help with goal formation. Another plus is that, you can also find free templates that can have you get started as soon as possible.

Then again, if you want to do things the old way, you can always get back to business books to find the samples and the guidance you need. To some people, this works better because the classical business perspective can always give a modern entrepreneur something to learn.

Now that you know where to look – here are some reminders before you get started with your business plan.

1. Start off with one clear goal. Know exactly where you and your business are going. It will also be best for you to plot time frames as they are always good because it keeps you going no matter what.

2. It is always wiser to start small because when you have a small business, the possibility of expansion is quite fast. On the other hand, if it turned out that your venture is not that successful, you have lesser things to lose.

3. Focus on one product and capture one specific market first. If you want to put up a bakery, then start with a bakery, do not try to make a restaurant happen with that. This is important because trying to do so much will just thwart you off your goal.

4. Finally, try to enjoy every moment of it. That is the only thing that can fight off any exhaustion and frustration that you might feel while running your own business.

Those are general reminders that you can keep in mind while you start working on your business plan. Again, if at any point of writing, you get to have a mental block, you can always browse on some available business plans examples for your reference.

Starting your own business can be a rewarding experience. Many individuals attempt to enter the business world every year, and many of these people will fail. However, for those with the passion and determination to succeed, the experience can be a thrill ride that creates a solid income and an investment for the future. Starting a carpet cleaning business is one such venture that can quench the entrepreneurial thirst in many. Starting a carpet cleaning business can be as easy as following these simple tips.

The first thing you need to do when starting any business is to write a business plan. The plan should include your mission statement and your vision of the future. The vision will guide you in your future business decisions and make sure you keep on track to meet your goals. Next, you will need to include your financial statements and break even analysis. This will include things like your balance sheet. Finally, your marketing plan is one of the most important pieces of your business plan. This section will help you to determine how to reach your customers.

One you have your business plan written it is time to determine if you would like to be a franchise of an independent cleaner. Both have there good and bad points. Franchises will cost more to open and operate; however, you will receive training in all aspects of the business. As an independent you will have to learn everything on your own; however, the cost to start up will be lower and you will enjoy more freedom in your decisions.

Next, you will determine a niche. Successful cleaners start by dominating a niche market, then moving on to another. Find a market that is underserved in your area and become an expert. It could be commercial carpet cleaning, high rise apartments, or any number of segments. It is easier to be an expert in one small area rather than spreading yourself thinly over many different markets.

Once you determine your first niche you can further hone your marketing plan. Determine the best ways to get in front of your ideal customer. If it is commercial accounts then you could send letters introducing yourself and offer a free, no obligation quote or blanket the businesses in your area with postcards every two months. For high end residential customers you could offer one free room of cleaning to try your service out. There is any number of marketing ideas for specific segments. The important thing is to try out several ideas on a small scale before launching a large campaign.

I have had very good success using Jian software, and Business Planner Pro software. I have reviewed and adapted business plan templates from the Small Business Association at both the state and federal level. I consider the business plan to be one of the most important aspects of starting your own business. I have just completed my own 10th consecutive year of profitability and would like to share the following insight with you.

After you get done crashing all the numbers, making all your projections, and compiling the facts and statistics into a spreadsheet I believe you are left with a fundamental truth about business plans.

The most important purpose of your business plan is to prepare you to survive on your worst day in the market.

I want you to think about your business plan is your most important insurance policy against disaster. On good days at your business, you have customers, positive cash flow and a prospect for an unlimited future. But on your worst day, you might be staring at a loss of customers, indebtedness, in a lawsuit against you that threatens to take away all of your most valuable possessions. It’s on that day that your good business plan is prepared to protect you and allow you to continue to reach for your vision.

Most of the literature you see on the web and in popular business books describe the glory and excitement of being a small business owner. And in truth it is an opportunity for you to realize your life long dream of financial independence and working for yourself. Very few of these books in my opinion do a good enough job to equip you to handle the harsh realities of life in the business world. It remains a fact that 90% of businesses fail in their first five years and the reason for that is an insufficient level of detail in the area of disaster prevention.

You would be well served to take the time to identify everything that you and some trusted advisors think could possibly go wrong, and develop some redundant contingency plans for addressing these issues. This would be a good place for you to solicit the advice of naysayers and people who believe it just can’t be done. Take advantage of their pessimism and their willingness to find things wrong with your plan. If you can come up with answers for their insights and you stand a far better chance of surviving your first five years in business.

Best wishes to you and keep an eye out for the wolves!