The Dreaded Business Plan

I've been working on the business plan for my bike shop dream, and after completing the section on market needs, I scrolled down the outline I put into place to see just how much more I need to develop. My shoulders slumped. I felt like I was right back in grad school, writing that 20 page paper on The Tempest. After several hours of writing about the evils of colonization, I thought surely I was on page 20. Sadly, I was only on page 8. While some ideas come easily and I can write about them with little effort, other areas, really important areas, get pushed to the side and ignored. I thought I was getting close to being finished with the business plan. Ha! Not only do I still have over ten sections to fill out, but these sections deal with numbers, something I usually try to avoid. I didn't like algebra in high school, and I didn't enjoy trigonometry and statistics in college. Hence the degree in English.

Why can't I just walk into a bank and tell the loan officer my wonderful plan? Why does the plan have to be in writing? After all, the bike shop dream truly is wonderful. Just ask me. And furthermore, why do I have to show all the numbers? I can be trusted with lots of money. Really, I can.

Despite feeling overwhelmed right now by writing up my bike shop idea, I know eventually, if I just keep chipping away at it, I'll finish it. If I'm serious about opening up a women's specific bike shop, I have to at least try to make it happen. If I don't finish the plan and present it to the people who can fund my idea, the bike shop idea will remain just that--an idea. If I finish it and get turned down, at least I'll be able to move forward knowing I tried. I'll be unhappy for awhile, but there are other ways to combine my love for cycling and helping women that don't require a bike shop.

I love this pic. It helps bring me back to center.