As a start up you need to develop a strategic perspective from the word go.

This  will guide you through some of the things you might want to consider when you develop your ideas.

It is not only about future trends and being aware. The pendulum swings between the action and reaction to trends.You need to decide what position your company is taking on the pendulum between the trend extremes, for example embracing technology versus embracing nature.

If you want to be in business for a long time, you need to develop a vision of the future and the place of your business in that future. You need not only to be aware of the trends in your market area (technology, competition, trade regulations, etc.) but also have a sense of the general direction in which the world is developing.

It is not what you know, it is who you know”, there is a lot of truth in very few words. A network of connections is an especially powerful tool in growing a business. Research among high achievers shows that one of the reasons for their success is the fact that they cultivate (that is, develop and use) a strong network of personal contacts.

As an entrepreneur you have a choice of going solo or as part of a team. Teams have a much higher chance of success. That does not mean that everybody needs to be in the business full time, but you do need a combination of skill sets in areas such as sales (key!), marketing, finance and technology.

Time will be your biggest enemy in getting your business of the ground. You will be pulled in all kinds of directions. Successful people are very careful about how they spend their time. No matter how you slice it, we all have 24 hours in a day, so the key lies in learning to use your time (and energy) wisely.

Rather than focussing on writing a business plan, try to develop a story board, using the following headings. The first 3 are also you elevator pitch, the eleven slides is your presentation. Focus on telling the story of the excitement of the business opportunity.

There is a view that there is a single “business plan document”. In reality, there will probably be several different documents representing the business plan, across a spectrum from an operational manual to a fund-seeking document. Like the slide pack you use to put together your presentation.

The starting point is easy, you are about to start or have just started a business. The problem with a lot of start up companies is a very poor definition of where they want to be. So you need to define where you want to be and be as specific as possible in the form of targets and milestones.

The biggest problem with entrepreneurs is their complete fixation on their product or service. The best way to determine whether an idea is worthwhile is to ask 3 key questions:

Most entrepreneurs will have started to research their idea long before they come to the formal planning stage. Often, the idea has grown out of a long period of personal interest and the “research” is based on:

There is no point continuing to navel gaze and put too much emphasis on detailled planning. Action (any action) will create its own momentum. So get ready, (get cracking) fire and aim later.

You will soon find by engaging (we mean selling) with the market that you will get better at aiming. Without practical experience aiming is (in most cases) a academic exercise.