Jacoline Loewen: Business Plans are Hell

November 13, 2008

Business Plans are Hell

A crowd of curious entrepreneurs is always a pleasure to meet and last night, I was greeted by a group of enthusiasts when I visited the Toronto Business Development Centre. For anyone who is thinking about a start-up, this is a great place for you to start.
TBDC have business plan mentors.
Heaven!
These TBDC mentors will poke, prod and push you to get your business plan done.
Writing a business plan is hell. Doing the financial plan is worse. Most entrepreneurs love their product but the numbers and big thinking are like having to eat your vegetables. To have an outsider help you along the path to getting your plan “investor ready” is the winning way to raising capital. I have added TBDC to one of my favourite links on the side of this blog so you can find it anytime you visit.
Another key to moving your business out of your brain and basement into the real world that I discuss in my book Money Magnet, is to interact with other like minded business people and the people connected to TBDC are inspiring. They set up networking events which will prod you along. The journey of business can be lonely and getting around other people also struggling is a good motivational boost.
Try one of TBDC's networking events for yourself and get going with that business plan (and those pesky financials).

2 comments:

Unknown said...: AGREED! A traditional business plan is not the answer. In fact, more often than not, unless you are looking for financing, a strategic plan is a more effective way of taking an business from idea to success. Dynamic software like QuickPlanner Plus helps the entrepreneur to effectively define the goals, objectives, vision, strategies and programs for launching and growing the business and achieve true success.

http://www.quickplannerplus.com; November 16, 2008 at 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...: I found a lot of sense in what you said, and have been mulling over many of the ideas all day. The planning process you touched on is something that especially interests me – get it right and follow it through objectives to goals, and you can gain such achievement. I am looking forward to your elaboration on this and other ideas in the book. Thanks for the great inscription – I am inspired.
Hope to be in contact again soon.
Best wishes for your continued success,
Colleen J. Cowman, PhD
PEN Canada; November 25, 2008 at 12:41 PM

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Invited as expert on BNN The Pitch, CBC, Dragons' Den and published by National Post, Globe & Mail, Leadership, Business Entrepreneurs, The Journal, Women's Post, as well as author of three books.

Money Magnet by J. Loewen - Book Review

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See Jacoline Loewen on BNN TV Show The Pitch

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Rick Spence, National Post, review

"A lot of business people still have trouble with the concept of strategic planning. They wonder who should do it, and what it's for. I just encountered a great explanation of strategy. It comes from a book, The Power of Strategy by Jacoline Loewen.

"I think that strategy is very similar to the search for the Holy Grail. Renowned knights traveled great distances and overcame severe hardship in the struggle to find this sacred relic, the chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper. Finally, Sir Galahad was the one who discovered that the Holy Grail is, in fact, within us. There is no right or wrong answer -- it is the journey that provides the learning, not the Holy Grail itself.

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You can read a much longer excerpt from Loewen's book at

post by Rick Spence, Canadian Entrepreneur

Wealth Management

November 13, 2008

Business Plans are Hell

2 comments: