If You Don’t Have a Business Plan, You’re Just Guessing

A business plan isn’t just something you write once to get a loan and forget—it’s your GPS. Without it, you’re driving blind. I’ve seen companies go under not because they didn’t have talent—but because they didn’t have a plan.

Here’s how to write one that actually works:

1. Start With Brutal Honesty

What are your real costs? Real revenue? What are you bad at? What’s killing your profit? Don’t fluff the numbers—fix them.

Tip: If you’re losing $20,000 a month and writing a “growth plan,” you’re wasting time. Write a recovery plan first.

2. Keep It Simple

You don’t need a 40-page document to impress a bank. You need 3-5 pages of rock-solid strategy:

• Who you are

• What you do

• Who your customer is

• What it costs to do what you do

• What you make when it’s done right

3. Break It Into 90-Day Blocks

Annual plans are good. But 90-day sprints win wars. What are you doing this quarter to grow revenue or cut waste? That’s what matters.

4. Include Worst-Case Scenarios

What if a crew quits? What if your biggest client disappears? What if fuel prices double? Most businesses crash because they never ask “what if?”

5. Share It With Your Key People

If only the owner knows the plan, it’s worthless. Your foremen, your office staff, your superintendent—they all need to know where the ship is headed.

Bottom line: Write it down. Review it monthly. Update it quarterly. A business plan isn’t for banks. It’s for survivors.