Help!! (Business Plan)

[Pompal 09.]

OK, so I'm a MT student. I've never seen a business plan in my life. I have been given very vague instructions on how to write one (half a page worth). It's due on Tuesday (This was assigned last night). I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. I'm near tears here as I can't even find an example of a business plan that I could even begin to fathom finishing by Tuesday. The examples I've found are 30 pages long!! I (and most of my classmates) have full time jobs and we're in class all day Saturday. So I basically have one day to complete this, plus another assignment that's supposed to be "fun" about my "dream practice." :evil:

I'm so frustrated with my school and the program that I'm in that I could scream. t013 t076 t074 t093 t096 t091 t086

but I won't.

Can anyone help me with a link to a simple massage therapy-based business plan?

Pretty please??? :

 

[nonyaaa]

I've written several BP's and completing one in less than a week is near impossible. I am assuming that the plan should be very basic as the research alone could/should take you weeks. One suggestion would be to purchase Business Plan Pro but that would make it a very expensive assignment.

 

[Earl W]

Okay, first, you are only required to write half a page. Take a look at the 30 page plans, just to get the general idea. Then...generalize, plugging in what you'd like to do. Look at the two assignments as one - a one-page collection of ideas of what you *want*, and how you basically think you will get there.

This isn't to turn into a bank and ask for a loan. It is a half-page school assignment. You'll be fine.

What type of practice would you consider your ideal? Spa? Small MT-only clinic? Multi-discipline Alternative med clinic? Outcall business?

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and just daydream a bit. Then write it down. Then get a little more serious/analytical and put a plan to it. A simple, basic, just-now-brainstorming plan.

Done. And it was FUN.

 

[phouzhan]

Your business plan for school should include ideas that will make your practice stand out from everyone else. What type of specialty courses do you plan to take? What will your prices be? Will you give current client a discount for referals? How will you attract new clients to your new practice? What will you do to keep them there?

I remember my first business plan in school. lol. I wrote it up as if I would be mobile. I planned on gutting a big RV and redecorating it massage style. I would drive to clients homes, they would hop in, get their massage, and hop back out. That is what would have made me different from everyone else. lol... it still would! Feel free to use the roving massage RV idea for yourself and give it your own spin.

With the price of gas presently, I would go broke filling up the gas tank. What do RV's get per gallon?? I think something like 8 to 12 miles to the gallon!!

 

[spicerjoe]

Yeah, "business plan" in massage school is VERY different from a real-world business plan. I sometimes wonder what they are thinking giving out this little exercise.

To me, massage-school BP meant making a long list of all the money I would need to spend to start my own business (or to publicize yourself if you plan to work for someone else). Rent, utilities, supplies, advertising, forms, phone, transport, insurance, living expenses, laundry, uniforms. And then how you are going to get that money: # of clients per week needed to meet expenses, second job, savings, whatever.

I hope your instructors actually review these exercises with you and help you see what is accurate and how to go about achieving what you write down.

 

[big jack]

I feel your pain, I am not sure as to why your instructor only gave you a weekend to accomplish this assignment. I have taught this class many times and I can assure you I never made this assignment due in one day. I always gave 4 weeks and you had another 4 weeks notice that it was coming before I actually assigned it. So here is a bit of help, from a teachers point of view:

a) We want to see that you have a clear idea--are you going to be an I.C. or an employee, work full or part time, spa, chiropractic office, etc

b) Do you have an idea of how you want to market yourself? just by word of mouth, business cards, brochures, flyers, email blasts, websites, etc.

c) Yes, we do want to know that you have an idea of costs. Costs can play a big role in a business, especially if you are going to design a big elaborate spa and fund it yourself. If you are going in to business for yourself, starting out as a massage therapist have table will travel.

d) Make sure you understand the laws in your area, a good business person will stay within their guidelines for both massage and business operations. Sometimes as an entrepenuer (sp) we get sidetracked. Just be careful.

I do hope that these insights help a bit, I am sorry that you are being pushed into this assignment in a weekend. Please feel free to PM I would be glad to assist you. I too have written several business plans over the years and have proof read many more for my upcoming students. Good luck to you.

 

[Laurent]

I wrote it up as if I would be mobile. I planned on gutting a big RV and redecorating it massage style. I would drive to clients homes, they would hop in, get their massage, and hop back out.

Gratelakes - too funny, I had the same idea!

 

[cashflowpatrick]

I think that only a weekends notice and 1/2 page borders on busy work. Hopefully they will go more into depth on this subject. Even if you end up not following your plan, its good to sit down and think about the business you want for yourself. I am not following mine to close either. I was going to be strictly mobile. But after just a short while of lugging the table and being in some very unpleasant smelling and looking envirnoments I got over that one quick! There are some books and websites that can give you sort of templates and ideas to follow. But really a true business plan takes more then a couple days. I have written a few and one that I did submit to a bank for funding (different business then massage) and they are usually 30 plus pages. With only a 1/2 page I would focus on start up expense, future training you intend to get, a simple business card, things like that. Just a broad overview. Don't stress, have some fun with it. They are never going to know if you don't end up following it.

 

[Ross G.]

I think that only a weekends notice and 1/2 page borders on busy work. Hopefully they will go more into depth on this subject. Even if you end up not following your plan, its good to sit down and think about the business you want for yourself. I am not following mine to close either. I was going to be strictly mobile. But after just a short while of lugging the table and being in some very unpleasant smelling and looking envirnoments I got over that one quick! There are some books and websites that can give you sort of templates and ideas to follow. But really a true business plan takes more then a couple days. I have written a few and one that I did submit to a bank for funding (different business then massage) and they are usually 30 plus pages. With only a 1/2 page I would focus on start up expense, future training you intend to get, a simple business card, things like that. Just a broad overview. Don't stress, have some fun with it. They are never going to know if you don't end up following it.

This is what I was trying to say. This is not a serious assignment - there is just no way to write a half page business plan, or write a business plan in a weekend. Therefore, a business plan is *not* what this assignment is really asking for.

Later on, when you have TIME, kemilyna, if you plan to go into business for yourself, you will need to really work on this. But right now, when you don't have time and you are stressed, all you need to do is throw something back at the instructor that shows half a page of thoughts on how to put together your dream business. The main point here is not to stress it. They aren't asking for a real business plan!

 

[the Christian]

http://www.sohnen-moe.com/marketingmastery.php#2007_plan

Hope that helps!

 

[Jocelyn]

Thanks everyone... This forum is awesome and I'm so blessed to have access to it.

Just to clarify, I meant that the instructions our instructor gave us were only half a page long, not that she wanted to write half a page. Her instructions ask for a lot of vague things like "business goals." What sort of business goals? Financial ones? Personal ones? I just put a brief blurb about both.

I worked on this for at least three hours today and I'm not but a quarter of the way through it. I'm such a perfectionist. It's really hard for me to just slap something together, if you know what I mean. And now I've got a house guest that won't leave and the possibility of a drop-in from my sister and step dad tomorrow. I'm so stressed out - gonna hafta take some of those magic happy pills my acupuncturist gave me.

*sigh* This was supposed to be such a relaxing weekend. :

 

[Bhupesh]

I hate to say it, but can you post the assignment? That way we have a better way to help figure out what you need.

 

[cutie]

OK I finished it. It's nowhere near where it would need to be to present it to my bank or even "daddy dearest" to ask for a business loan, but for the amount of time we were given, I think I did pretty dern good. Even if I did gripe the whole time. (sorry)

Some pieces got completely left out because I had no idea what she was asking for. Such as:

"Develop an expected return on investment and monthly cash flow for the first year."

and

"Provide projected income statements, balance sheets for a two-year period."

Well, since I don't know what they mean by "return on investment" (isn't the interest I'm paying to the bank their return on investment?), and I assume that monthly cash flow is included in the monthly budget for business operations, I left them out. And I have no clue whatsoever what balance sheets are. So there ya go.

Now I'm off to do her *other* assignment. A five-minute presentation on my dream practice. If there is one thing I'm good at it's day dreaming .

Thanks again everyone.

Kemilyna

 

[Penn]

Are you kidding me? She asked for *real* BP info (not just fakey massage-school "BP") with that kind of notice? Wow. Maybe she made a mistake and meant to give you guys more time? That just seems completely unreasonable.

 

[Trudy J]

I agree, that was way too detailed of a project for such short notice. It sounds like you did great.

 

[Polexia owns your SOUL]

Kemilyna,honey I did the same type of BS in school....it was just senseless busywork,because the BP I created for myself was totally different from what I gave to my instructor. I am glad things went well,despite what you were given.Hopefully you won't be doing anymore "work" like this again-why not show an example for you all to reference from and look at,and then make the assignment? That make much more sense than sending ya'll off in the dark. Hope all goes well!

Namaste'
Johnny

 

[Pierra]

Sounds almost like your instructor waited til the last minute to pass out assignments because he/she has to post grades in the computer.

Sorry things got so haywired for you. Writing a BP can actually be enlighting and a learning experience. I do hope that when you decide to sit down and work on it you will be able to put some real thought into it.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Thanks again for your replies. I feel so much better now that I've at least got something to turn in. It's due tomorrow night. And, really, I did learn something. I learned that going into business for myself is actually doable. The budget works! I never, ever would have thought I'd consider it, but now I really am.

It helps too that my mentor has offered me space at a very reasonable (dare I say cheap?) rent if his current business deal goes through. To work alongside him would just be too cool. I'm trying not to get my hopes up and to keep an open mind to other opportunities. But... that would just be awesome.

To be fair to my instructor, she had two examples of business plans up at the front of the room for us to look at, but I can't just look at something once and have it down, you know what I mean? I'm kinda slow in that way, I guess. I've got to be able to look at something again and again.

Der.

Anyway... *takes big, deep, nice breath of air* it's over now. I've got an hour scheduled with my MT/mentor Wednesday and I think my only request will be "help me relax." Knowing him, I will go home a pile of goo. I hope my hubby doesn't mind cooking dinner. hee hee.

kemilyna

 

[Chi4Now]

Yay Emliy!
I am so happy things are working out for you..I am happy you have a potential space with your mentor-they can be so helpful in times of tension. I was wondering just how you resolved things. I am wishing only the best for you. I am sure your hubby will be more than happy to cook dinner for you,because he knows you have been working hard in school. I need an acupuncture appointment-you have reminded me of that-thanks! Hope all goes well with the assignment-see it is workable!

Blessings and Light-
Johnny