The Renegade Writer Blog

Now that the year is winding down (is it almost December already?), you may be thinking of your writing goals for 2007. How about writing down your plans, goals, and dreams (“I will break into The New Yorker and win the powerball jackpot”) in the form of a business plan? Many freelancers think that business plans are for bigshot companies with many dollars to throw around. But really, a business plan can help even independent professionals like us formulate goals and plan for success. My business plan, which I update every six months, has sections for:

• Goals statement (what I hope to achieve in the next six months)
• Summary of last 6 months (did I meet the goals in my last business plan?)
• Markets (who will buy what I have to sell?)
• Obstacles (and how to overcome them)
• Business ideas (new ways to increase my income)
• Expenses (and how to reduce them)
• Marketing ideas (how to sell my writing, e-courses, etc.)

My business plan is also my life plan, so I also write six-month goals for health, travel, etc. And y’know what’e really cool? Sometimes I review my business plan to find that I’ve already met some of my goals — without even trying! There’s something about writing them down that seems to make them come true. I think it’s called intention or synchronicity or self actualization or some other self-helpy term. But whatever — it works for me.

Here’s an article on writers’ business plans from about.com. Also, check out the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans, co-authored by Gwen Moran. Have fun! [lf]