Esteemed Magazines April-May 2007 | Page 5

Investing wisely Wealthy at the treadmill A lot of people are beginning to realize how important their health is and they are willing to pay a tidy amount to maintain a long, healthy lifestyle. A professionally managed gym or fitness centre offering affordable service would no doubt then be a recommended source of income. Suggested Layout Your implementation of this idea should entail a thorough research on several areas: 1. Location 2. Capital Required and its source 3. Target Clientele 4. Employees required 5. Employees Remuneration 6. Resources needed once the centre is operational (Equipment, Furniture, Stationery, e.t.c.) 7. Governing laws and regulations 8. Licences required 9. Expected income levels 10. Marketing Required 11. Level of service to attract and maintain your clientele 12. Viability of the idea and potential for growth 13. Lifespan of the business 14. Competition 15. Security 16. Insurance 17. Service Rate i.e. what will you charge your clientele compared to what is charged by competitors or in the market 18. Business name 19. Service Offered 20. Layout/ Structuring The biggest investment you will make for its success is the research and work you put into it. Tips for the self-starter: 1. Stop procrastinating. You can start today 2. Be committed. Be willing and ready to put in the time and effort that will be required to get your business off the ground and into the sky 3. Know your game. You will be offering a product or a service. Does your target clientele want it or need it? Do you love it? Because if you do, it will keep you going even when the money well dries up. Be good at it. Are you good with baking? Talking to others? Work on that. 4. Be a good learner. One who is not afraid to ask and learn from the contributions of others. Information is power. You do not know it all but by talking to people, you will be surprised at what you can learn. 5. Learn to manage your finances and human resource element. Both can make you or break you. NB: Publishers Disclaimer: The publisher is not engaged in the business of rendering financial, legal or other professional advice. If such advice and or information is required in relation to the investment idea highlighted herein, the services of professionals should be sought. No responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of material in this publication can be accepted. Writing your business plan With this first edition of Esteemed, we will begin a series on creating a business plan. If you keep at it with us, we endeavor to create a presentable business plan that will help launch a successful business. What is a Business Plan? A business plan is the road map for your business. It is a document that details the point of your beginning, what you see the business going through and what you envision it to be. The business plan acts in two dimensions – one as a blueprint for your business and second as a tool for financial sourcing. Generating a business plan in essence brings ownership of your business closer to the heart than it already is. It enables people including the owners to clearly see the business as a whole and not abstract ideas in the mind. Generating a good and workable business plan takes time and hard work. It is founded on the premises that failure to plan is planning to fail. A business plan’s content will highly depend on the much research you do for the business. You should also remember that the plan is not a static product. It is and should be a dynamic document that is not thrown into the archives after one year in business. It will change with the diverse operating environment. For instance if you are starting a hotel and the regulations set by the public health act are changed two years after you have began operations, and they are seen to overly affect your business, then you will have to alter your plan accordingly. Another good example is – assuming that after 8 years of operation, you reach your ultimate goal as laid out in the plan. Does it mean then that you will not grow further. You will need to review the document and that will give you the direction that you should take from thereon. Before we get to the next area of business plans, align yourself to the business you have in mind and begin researching on it. Page 5