tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post585763353840938876..comments2021-12-16T11:35:57.557-08:00Comments on Serenity for the Self-Employed: 30-Day Biz Planning Challenge: Goals vs. ActionsHeather Boernerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250093864044687471noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post-73941328411448008162008-12-10T14:48:00.000-08:002008-12-10T14:48:00.000-08:00I'm finding this blog helpful, Heather! Or at leas...I'm finding this blog helpful, Heather! Or at least, encouraging. I'm one of those writers who usually has an annual list of goals, but rarely any sort of plan for income-- that seems so out of my control.Kristin Ohlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08961884344605729368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post-44813799852958084052008-12-05T16:42:00.000-08:002008-12-05T16:42:00.000-08:00Heather wrote, "I will ask you: Have you tried a p...Heather wrote, "I will ask you: Have you tried a process-based business plan?"<BR/><BR/>Yes, I have. <BR/><BR/>"Can you really assume it's not worth it if you haven't tried?"<BR/><BR/>Well, I have tried it, and I said nothing about it not being worth it. I said it's not really what I think of as a business plan. Big difference. <BR/><BR/> GregGregBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06920878535760875834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post-45801670535987347332008-12-05T13:08:00.000-08:002008-12-05T13:08:00.000-08:00Greg,I see we have very different approaches. I wi...Greg,<BR/><BR/>I see we have very different approaches. I will ask you: Have you tried a process-based business plan? Can you really assume it's not worth it if you haven't tried? If what you're doing is working, then no need. But if not, could it hurt?<BR/><BR/>I'll simply say that if you keep querying, you can't help but be successful. It's true. Now, if your markets are all The New Yorker, The Atlantic, etc., then you might experience that kind of mind-numbing failure. But if your markets are more realistic and within an appropriate income range (for instance, you could sell lots of queries if you're willing to work for 15 cents a word, but that wouldn't accomplish other business-plan goals, like paying your bills), I doubt you'd never sell anything.<BR/><BR/>That seems unrealistic to you.<BR/><BR/>Having said that, I agree that you have to have checkpoints to see if your plan is working (say, querying weekly to certain pubs). I do it monthly. Others do it quarterly. There's no point in having goals if you aren't going to check in on them.<BR/><BR/>HeatherHeather Boernerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10250093864044687471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post-75761578870596623722008-12-05T11:06:00.000-08:002008-12-05T11:06:00.000-08:00Sure, that makes sense. I simply disagree. ;-)A bu...Sure, that makes sense. I simply disagree. <BR/><BR/>;-)<BR/><BR/>A business plan has to--I would think--relate to the bottom line. That's what business is about. When you write "My point is that if your goal, as mine was, is to send three queries a week, and you reach that," I could have that goal and fail completely at business. How? By doing so and not getting responses. By getting turned down. And so on.<BR/><BR/>I don't disagree that I should set those sort of goals. I simply don't see them as the major elements of business plans, which would involve defining product, making sales, determining time use, and so on. <BR/><BR/>I would also say that if one does set this sort of goals, one must include things like regular check points, to see if one is on track.<BR/><BR/>Finally...you shared experience. I value that, but it isn't evidence. I did this, and this happened. True--but did you test it against working without a plan? Against others' plans? And so on.<BR/><BR/>Please, please don't get me wrong: I would love to have a business plan. I would love to be able to take action X and produce result Z. But it hasn't happened yet.<BR/><BR/>GregGregBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06920878535760875834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post-85133622068426460802008-12-05T10:40:00.000-08:002008-12-05T10:40:00.000-08:00Hi Greg,Great questions. I can speak from my own e...Hi Greg,<BR/><BR/>Great questions. I can speak from my own experience that it does work: I had five target consumer mags this year. Right now, an editor at one of them likes an idea and is taking it to his editorial meeting to get approval from the other editors. Another editor at another magazine is doing the same. For me, this was part of my business plan: I targeted these markets, I queried them regularly. I got rid of clients that were no longer meeting my needs. I knew what my needs were because of my biz plan and I knew which markets to focus on because of my plan. <BR/><BR/>I blogged about this in the post previous to this: http://selfemployedserenity.blogspot.com/2008/12/30-day-biz-planning-challenge-checking.html<BR/><BR/>My point is that if your goal, as mine was, is to send three queries a week, and you reach that. And one of your other goals is to target specific magazines, those two goals will work together to help you break into those markets. It's not magic. It's persistence guided by a plan. <BR/><BR/>Also, my income increased $10,000 this year because of my plan. Did I reach my ultimate goal? No, but I'm well on my way, and if I can keep working the same way, I trust I will get there.<BR/><BR/>I guess we have a difference of opinion, because to me those actions are the MAJOR part of the business plan, not the goals. They are the cause that makes the effect, if you will.<BR/><BR/>Does that make sense?<BR/><BR/>HeatherHeather Boernerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10250093864044687471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019174666736639320.post-2364895572803097642008-12-05T10:22:00.000-08:002008-12-05T10:22:00.000-08:00Heather, you concluded with " But if your measure ...Heather, you concluded with " But if your measure of success is progress, your business plan will help you accomplish your goals."<BR/><BR/>I guess my first response is, do you have evidence for this? Meaning, what makes you say so? <BR/><BR/>I can set goals. I can set goals I hope to reach, and I can set goals that are within my control, like querying x number of zines. However, those seem only a minor part of a business plan, and seem unrelated to whether I make progress or not. <BR/><BR/>GregGregBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06920878535760875834noreply@blogger.com