Are You Off With Startup Selling Plan Like This?

With experience throughout my career of being paid to research, shape, and write business plans - not to mention creating such for my own ambitions - I've long appreciated the crossover between them and new endeavour sales planning. Especially given my time in New Product Rescue.

So I duly note another framework for these. Intended, I suspect, in part to remove the stigma and barriers to producing one.

Emma Jones promotes her 'network' for entrepreneurs. I hit snooze on the inevitable alarm. Here's our key pointer from her latest Enterprise Nation pr;

Create a business plan: If you haven't already, you need to invest time in building a business plan. A good way to look at this is I'M OFF: idea, market, operations, financials, and friends - which includes advisers and those who can help you along the way.

Whilst it won't be troubling silicon valley piggybacking gurus to the wannapreneur masses quite yet, you can relate to the simplistic merit in encouraging people to fill in the quintet.

In the spirit that this fundamental yet dangerously maligned building block ought not be shirked, suggesting just five points need be addressed makes this starting point feel less daunting and so surely more likely to be documented. Leading to a stronger Start.

Yet I am duty-bound to lament the lack of Enterprise selling focus for our world with it.

Likewise, the actual mnemonic is simply too me-me-me orientated. Seldom if ever a good angle.

Still, its immediacy is worthwhile.

A point made firmer by attempts to craft alternatives.

For instance, seeing that these guys' logo was a hexagon visually spilt into its six slices, I wondered whether a cheeky 'extra' pointer could be squeezed in. Could they make use of the apostrophe? A little special hint. One 'secret' item that, in their experience, goes missed all to often?

This inspired me to remix afresh.

Leading me to this ten-minute exercise, using the letters of founder-favourite word, LAUNCH.

The starting L could indicate Logistics. Akin to Operations.

Friends could be represented by an A of Allies.

U gives great scope to focus on how Unique is your Idea.

Numbers N covers Financials.

C for Concept could encompass the elements which bring your Idea to life. Progressing from what's unique about it, to show how it'll be received, known and work.

Then an H which might really bring out the problem you resolve. What the target market will be experiencing that'll make them bang down your door. Plenty of options here; Headache, Hindrance, Hassle, Hole, Hurdle, Hiccup, Hitch. Whatever it is they would love to see gone from their days.

I'm not suggesting this an upgrade. Far from it. It is very much a first stab. A prototype. Needing many iterations to iron out its inherent flaws.

What I hope it does do though, is both open eyes to greater depth you can dig as well as prompting anyone faced, fazed even, by such planning in B2B domains to actually get cracking. Good luck!