Dear Gritty VA:
On the business plan template, I am having a hard time coming up with the replacement word for “we” and “our” since it is only “I” who will be doing all the work for now. My mentor stated it is not acceptable to put “I” in its place, that I need to put my business name; however, that is so redundant! Any ideas? –MK
I have to disagree with your mentor on this one. The fact is most of us in boutique firms and solo practices are not completing business plans for the purpose of getting loans or attracting investors. We’re just not that big.
First and foremost, the point of going through the business planning process is to gain clarity and consciousness about our objectives for our businesses and how to best achieve them. The value of a business plan is not the formatting, it’s the process, or the journey of the process, if you will. It’s what we learn and gain insight from by going through the process that is the important thing. The process forces you to get conscious about things and specifically address them that you might not have otherwise. Therefore, it matters not a whit whether you use “we” or “us” or “I.” In fact, if you are an “I’ and specifically not a “we” and your business plan is for your purposes, not for loans or investors, I would say use “I” to speak to yourself and make it more personal.
Of course, if your business plan is doubling as something you would be formally presenting, then by all means use whatever form is accepted and expected. And don’t forget, there’s no law preventing you from directly asking about what they’d like to see, how they’d like it presented and what will help you get what you’re looking for.
Thanks for commenting. Yeah, the virtual assistant term is really completely idiotic to...
2 Comments
As someone who has written business plans for myself and others I would agree. Most of those plans are not intended for others anyway, they are to provide clarity on your objectives and goals and to help you plan a path to achieve them. It should be addressed to whomever is running the business and if you are a solopreneur then by all means use “I”.
By the way, even if it were going to a bank official, loan officer, or a venture capital firm and you use the term “we” or “us” for a one person operation, they are going to want to know who the “us” is. You can’t fool them, so just be honest up front. I’m sure they are seeing a lot of individuals start their own companies anyway. They may even be able to point you to some resources that you don’t have in-house if they know you need them.
Awesome stuff Gavin. However,
I have submitted a business plan before and my mentors stated the “I” needs to be replaced with the business name or owner’s name… aaaargh! I will follow suggestions of those that have the experience, and yes, I am seeking capital and the mentor has helped literally hundreds gain capital. I definitely agree with you on the “us”.