It’s fun, sometimes, to go back to the old days. Last week in London I was able to talk to Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation, focusing on home offices. Emma then put up a nice post that’s both a reminder of the good old days of my company, and a reminder of how and why we all ought to be planning our businesses. Emma talked to me and Alan Gleeson, managing director of Palo Alto Software Ltd in the UK, and calls her post Business Plan Pros.
We talked about the early home-office days of Palo Alto Software and our present home-office situation, with one employee in Ireland.
Some key points:
So, what were Tim’s and Alan’s top tips for Enterprise Nation members who are about to start on a business plan or about to review an existing one?
- Do it. Start anywhere. But do start! Writing a business plan is not hard, but you do need to commit to get going!
- Understand that it is a living document that should be regularly reviewed and revised.
- Be sure of your market demand.
- Keep your eyes firmly on cash flow.
Afterward, Alan and I remembered that Palo Alto Software Ltd, the UK subsidiary, started as a home-office business as well.
Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and Bplans.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timberry.
