Back of the Napkin

Contrary to what many business consultants and MBA's would have you believe, you don't need a comprehensive business plan to start or run a business. In fact, Inc. magazine found that most successful small businesses were started with very little formal planning -- a "back of the napkin" plan seemed to work best.

What differentiates the successful from the unsuccessful in the ranks of the self-employed is not planning but action. The successful take action. They don't always succeed. Batting a thousand is not what makes them successful. What makes them successful is that they get an inordinate number of hits compared to their competition because they have so many more at bats. They revise and improvise as they go. They're much more into ready-fire-aim than ready-aim-fire.

So the question is simple: What three actions can you take today that will move your business forward? Already taken three? Take three more. Keep on keeping on. Course correct as appropriate, but don't fall victim to paralysis by analysis.

Three actions a day displayed on your Blackberry, written on a 3X5 card, or even written on the palm of your hand. Not some fancy-ass business plan stuck away in a binder on a shelf somewhere, but three simple steps staring you in the face each day, everyday. That's what you need -- right here, right now. The results will take care of themselves.