- What it Takes Deborah Meaden tells us what she thinks it takes to be a successful business leader.
- Researching Entrepreneur, Deborah Meaden gives her tips on researching your potential market.
- Pitching Successful female investor Deborah Meaden gives her thoughts on pitching your business idea to secure funding.
Business Planning
Plenty of people have great ideas but it's the ones who actually act on them who are most likely to be successful. A step-by-step business plan with timescales and milestones at an early stage is an excellent idea and could be crucial if you’re looking to secure investment or a loan from a bank.
A relatively simple business plan will also keep you on track, make sure you spend time considering what actually needs to be done by who and when, and offer early warning signs on timing/launch issues. With all the stresses and strains that starting a business can bring it will also serve as a good motivator when times get tough and you can clearly see what you have already achieved.
On the other hand if you are constantly missing deadlines, failing to achieve targets and re-writing your plan it also serves as a very clear indicator that something needs a re-think.
There’s plenty of free help and guidance on writing business plans on the internet. One example is offered by HSBC bank.
