Alabama Chamber Of Commerce

Here's a simple business plan in five steps

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Eight people in the room. Seven of them are women. Two of them are instructors.

Both of the instructors are leading the Women's Business Center of North Alabama's workshop, "5 Steps to a Simple Business Plan," held at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

They're in the Redstone Room on the third floor, huddled around a conference table.

"We think this really fits our market," Stephanie Sellers, the lead instructor, tells the six people who have enrolled. "It helps you not be scared to do a business plan. It doesn't have to be a 40-page business plan."

The workshop participants are here for a wide range of reasons. One is here because she has been laid off recently and has started doing some volunteer work.

"We're writing a business plan to start what we need to do," she says.

Another is here because she's retired, wants to earn some extra income and "just to do something with my time," she says.

The only man among them is an X-ray technician at a local hospital who's also a full-time student. He's got big ambitions. For starters, he's considered opening a scrub store near the new hospital in Madison. "I'm wanting to do a little bit of everything," he says.

That's fine with Sellers. She wants aspiring entrepreneurs to be dreamers.

"What do you want to be like?" she says early in the workshop. "If you want to make tennis shoes, be Nike. No, be better than Nike."

To reach those goals, the Women's Business Center of North Alabama offers its workshop, advertised as a way for new or longtime business owners to put their business "on the right track."

"Ultimately," Sellers says, "the business plan is a map." That map, she said, is formulated by following "The One Page Business Plan" by Jim Horan.

Sellers and Stacy DeSmet, president and creative director of Synectics, are the instructors.

DeSmet tells the six participants that they're embarking on a journey. To embark on this journey, it takes fortitude, for one thing, she says. And it takes a plan.

The vision statement

Time to get creative.

"It's a passionate, idealistic picture of the business you want," Sellers says. "It's the dreamer's statement. This is my dream."

Some things to do: Don't overthink it.

"The first statement that pops in your mind is usually the best statement that you craft," Sellers says.

North Alabama Black Chamber of Commerce News « Huntsville Alabama ...

Our annual conference/expo will take place August 25-26. We are excited that the Alabama Cooperative Extension is partnering with us to host this event. Our awards dinner on August 25 will feature Melinda Emerson, CEO of Quintessence Multimedia. Ms. Emerson, The SmallBizLady, is one of America’s leading small business experts. Forbes Magazine named Melinda Emerson one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to on Twitter. She publishes a resource blog, www.succeedasyourownboss.com and hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #Smallbizchat for today’s entrepreneurs. She is also the author of the bestselling book “Become Your Own in 12 months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.” Melinda has been featured on MSNBC, Fox News, NBC Nightly News and in USA Today, the Washington Post, New York Times, Fortune, Essence and Black Enterprise.

MEMBER Events/News: The North Alabama Black Pages/Business Directory is available NOW! Find the businesses, non-profits, and service organizations in your community. Get your copy today for only $5.

Effective fall 2011 semester, students enrolled in the Automotive or Heating and Air Conditioning programs at Drake State Technical College will have the option to pursue an associate degree. For more information call 256-551-3136.

DID YOU KNOW? The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering the V-WISE program for FEMALE VETERANS desiring to start their own business. Applicants must have served in any branch of the military during any era. Participants must be able to complete the on-line component of the program and be able to travel to one of the mandatory conferences held at various times from spring 2011 through fall 2013. Admission is on a rolling basis. Applications can be found by clicking on the following link: http://whitman.syr.edu/vwise/index.asp or for more information contact Roderick Perkins by phone (205) 290-7785 or email roderick.perkins@sba.gov.

The Operation Endure and Grow program is a new on-line training experience focused on the fundamentals of launching and/or growing a small business, offered by the Whitman School of Management in cooperation with the SBA. The 8-week training program is open to National Guard and reserve members as well as their family members. The cost for the program is $75. To apply go to the following link: http://www.whitman.syr.edu/EndureAndGrow/.

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