Extra… Extra… Business Plan to the Rescue!-By Louis Mattassi

In all sincerity, you should create your business plan before you set up your company, etc. Trust me when I make this statement “being passionate and results- driven takes a plan of action to get accomplished. However, I find that plenty of salon owners lose momentum in writing their business plan, so in the understanding of keeping you excited and motivated, I will give you the option to write the business plan after you get your preliminary groundwork running. There is something very fulfilling about getting your salon going, and this will give you the drive and momentum to put together a meaningful business plan.

Unless you are using your business plan to get a loan, find investors or apply for some other type of outside assistance, the primary audience of your business plan is YOU, and anyone else who joins your team. Therefore, don't get hung up in the parts of the business plan that are not useful or meaningful to you. Use good sense about how much detail, time and effort you want to invest up front.

A tad of advice, your business plan be reasonably light at first, and then, as you become more skilled in your new business, start to evolve your business plan with added details.

I also recommend that your business plan become a "living document," versus some mountain of papers that you file away. Therefore, as you are writing it, think about how you will use the information later on, and make sure that it can easily fit that purpose.

For instance, in the beginning of your business plan, you will explain the purpose, mission and vision of your salon and spa. As you write these sections, recognize that you can incorporate this lingo into your marketing materials later on. Also, the words you use should turn into the answer to the question, "So what does a salon business owner do?" Do yourself a favor, and make the writing of your business plan your way of turning yourself into a living, breathing successful salon and spa owner.

The benefits of implementing a business plan include understanding how to operate, manage and build your business from all necessary angles. Just to mention a few major areas as referenced from Salon Training International's Management Tools includes: how to create and use budgets regularly, implement operational systems, establish quality control for customer service, policies for employee evaluations, front desk trainings and procedures, strategic planning and goals.

So, as a suggestion for continued support there is a book called, the E-Myth Revisited: Why most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It . Buy it …it will change your outlook about business planning for a small business and share a wealth of information that is valuable for anyone building their dream workplace.

Often times when people decide to go into the salon and spa industry, they fail to see it for what it is, a small business that has all the potential for growth but needs a big commitment. To be effective, it is imperative that you start thinking about managing your business in these terms, if you want to fully establish your business competitively with the world around you.

As an owner, you should take this responsibility seriously to create, modify and follow a descriptive, complete business plan. Failing to see yourself as a small business owner can sabotage your future success. So, my recommendation to you is to take actions and utilize resources to develop your business plan fully, in order to up the ante on your success today