If you're a smart traveler you know can't head out on a long road trip without some kind of map or directions.  Without that there's a chance you'll get lost, drive in the wrong direction, show up late or never actually arrive.

When it comes to driving your business your map is your business plan. Now I know lots of business owners put off writing a formal plan because they think it's going to be difficult, time consuming and unproductive. Well none of that is true.

Your plan can be a simple outline which answers basic questions about where you are, what your goals are and what actions you're going to take to get there.

You don't have to do it all at once. You can work on it in little chunks updating it as your business grows. And your plan can help you anticipate when and where you're going to need help and resources. It will also give you a tool to share your plans with your employees, your investors and other stakeholders.

If you're ready to get started on your plan, enroll in our new self-paced Business Map workshop.