I’ve always held the view that business plans can be a monumental waste of time, and it seems that the academic world may be catching up – or at least part of it.

Steve Blank is a serial entrepreneur, turned business school professor. He argues that entrepreneurship is about getting out into the world and doing it, rather than researching and writing about it. Blank says that business plan classes and competitions are ‘dead in the water’ for new ventures.

My take on this is that creating a detailed business plan is often used as a device for procrastination by would-be entrepreneurs. And even the best thought out plan is pretty useless if you take your product or service to market, and nobody buys it. It’s a bit like designing a car that will handle perfectly at 70mph without firstly ensuring that you have a means of making it start.

I’ve heard the correct sequence of events described in a number of ways, but probably the best is this…Ready, Fire, Aim. Test your ideas out in the real world as quickly as possible. You can do detailed planning later once you know you have something with potential. Don’t waste time planning diligently for something which may prove to be a non-starter.

Décor to Door 

 As we’ve discussed here before, businesses employing self employed agents to sell products direct to end users in their home, are enjoying a bit of a boom at the moment. We’re all familiar with the Avon’s and Bettaware’s of this world, but the concept is now being adopted by companies selling products at far higher price points.

Décor to Door uses a self employed representative system, but the product is home décor and furnishing. Independent representatives earn commissions by presenting the company’s products in a party plan setting.

This an American company and I’m not aware of anyone doing anything similar here yet. Might this be an operation you could emulate, perhaps partnering with a traditional furniture retailer? Or is there some other product category which would lend itself to the direct sales treatment?

Today’s National Day  

NATIONAL JOIN HANDS DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE  

  Dear Streetwise Customer,

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 . You can work exclusively from home and never have to leave   
   the house

 . As long as you have a computer with internet access, you’re in 
   business  

. The method behind it doesn’t just cope with turmoil and
   uncertainty…it positively thrives on it.

. You can get started and be making money in days rather than 
   weeks or months.

 . Start-up costs are virtually zero.

  How do I know this is perfect for now? 

  Because the guy who developed it is something of a recluse. He started ‘self-isolating’ years ago before it became a thing, and has run this business from the top of a French mountain, from a remote Swedish farm and from the wilds of northern Scotland…  

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  If you find yourself having to live and work a little more remotely in the coming weeks and months…or even if you just like the idea of doing that…then this is perfect for you.  

 Take a look now and respond today. In every crisis, there are opportunities. Even if you’ve looked at doing something like this before and decided against, think again. Now is the time.

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P.S Uncertain and volatile times are precisely when this works best.
         What other opportunity can you say that about?

www.streetwisenews.com/wizard