Writing a Business Plan: 9 Ways to Get Unstuck

I’m stuck.

My friend Marc and I are trying to write a business plan for a new effort — something I do for each new idea I pursue — but I’m stuck.

Have you gotten stuck when writing?  Being creative always leads to potholes, hurdles and dead-ends.  But business plan writing seems to have more than its fair share of these, and I manage to find them all.

Here are my best tips for getting unstuck:

1. Work in pairs. Let’s face it. Two brains are better than one. The juice that starts flowing when two people knock around an idea is way better than going it alone.
2. Get a pair of pairs. There’s a tendency, even in pairs, to drink our own Koolaid. Having an outsider involved is always a good idea. I like to brainstorm with Marc, then take our ideas to a new person. Its best if Marc and I do NOT do this together — we’d tend to overwhelm the third guy!
3. Break the logjam. Here’s a secret brain trick I learned from a psychologist.  Negative and blocked thinking can literally be interrupted by doing something completely different or crazy. For me it’s exercise — that clears the head and gets me positive again. For some people it can be as simple as singing in the shower or cooking dinner. Just stand up and scream if you have to — anything to get the juices flowing again.
4. Do Nothing — Let it Fester.  Sleeping on an idea — or even the lack of an idea — is a great way to work through the problem. OK, you think that I just like to sleep… True, but sleep is also a great way to get unstuck. Your brain can continue to process difficult problems when you are asleep. The next day you’ll have the advantage of your subconscious thoughts.
5. Read an unrelated magazine. I subscribe to a bunch of magazines, many of which are in completely bizarre industries. I’ve had “Pig Farming” and “Reverse Logistics” in my mail box at the same time. I don’t read them cover to cover, but often they will have a business piece in them that really stimulates my thinking and helps me solve a tough problem in my own life.  Inspiration can come from unexpected places.
6. Get a pro involved. One of my best clients is a golf club manufacturing company called FEEL Golf.  The executive team recently took a trip to Wall Street to meet some high-flying finance guys and came back full of vim and vigor. The folks they met gave them all kinds of great ideas and inspiration based on decades of experience in the business. A professional outlook on your situation can really break you into new territory.
7. Research it. This is by far the most difficult — but also the most valuable. Sitting down to do 20 or 30 hours of internet research is not always fun, but I guarantee that you will find some new ideas and new solutions to your problem. Better yet, you’ll quickly see what your competition is doing, and probably build a better business for it.
8. Find an analogy. In the middle of brainstorming, if I hit a wall, I’ll re-frame the issue. Put the same issues into a world that you already know better. If you have problems organizing employees, think “what would a the army do?” If you have problems with a car repair shop, think “how would a hospital handle the same kind of issue?” And my favorite, which applies to any situation, “What Would Google Do?”
9. Write it out. Sometimes, the only real solution is to keep on writing. I think this works pretty well when the block is a really really big one. If you are completely at a loss for words and ideas, you simply have to write whatever you can. Start on a different section… or be willing to write something absolutely ridiculous. That is the beauty of word processors, after all: Editing is sometimes a lot easier than writing. So go ahead and drain your brain onto a page. Put down everything that comes to mind. Then go back and pick up pieces later.

I hope there’s some brain-grease in this list for you. As for me, I really am stuck on a business plan this week, and I hope you’ll weigh in with your own great ideas on how to get unstuck.  Otherwise, I’m going to have to exercise, scream, call a professional, and do a whole lot of research!

Can you save me?

PS: If you’re writing a business plan, be sure to click on the “Download a Business Plan” tab above.  I’ve got an offer for you that you won’t want to miss.

Dedicated to your profits,

David