Who is afraid of the Business Plan? [EN]

When I started my business, in 2011, I didn’t think I needed a business plan, I only needed clients, tons of clients. Even though my title was web designer, I took every job that was asked of me: web sites, of course, but also graphics, print, social media management, training, basically anything!

In less than eight months I had to go back to work as an employee because I managed to spend way more money than I earned. I kept doing some freelancing on the side with no direction whatsoever and finally I realised that I needed a plan.

After implementing a proper business plan, I was able to recognise and concentrate on a niche market, become much more successful, raise my prices, and greatly increase my income. It doesn’t matter what your financial goal for the year is, or what your mission for your small business is, having measurable goals and a clear strategy will allow you to do what you love and make a living out of it.

Together we will go over the basic sections of a business plan and we’ll learn a creative way to make one that represents you and your business. There will be worksheets to help you draft your first business plan and crayons and markers to make it more fun!

Spreker

Over Francesca Marano

With a career built across radically different contexts, from airlines to SaaS startups, from global open source communities to enterprise digital agencies, one thing has remained constant: I help organisations build the foundations that make growth sustainable. I grew up watching my parents, both programmers, drawing flowcharts on the kitchen table. Every problem has a structure, every structure can be designed better. That has been the thread running through everything I’ve done. I’ve spent just as much energy building communities and connections. When I talk to someone, I instinctively see who they should meet and what collaboration could emerge. That’s where my approach starts: understanding the full picture before finding the right solution. In practice, this means different things for different organisations: strategy, structuring and training teams, process redesign, or integrating new tools and technologies to do more with what you already have. Some things I’m proud of. I co-led four major releases of WordPress, the CMS powering 40%+ of the web. I founded C+B, an editorial community of 80+ writers that helped thousands of Italian female entrepreneurs find their footing. I won a Stevie Award for mentoring. I built WP Includes to get more women into leadership. I believe in sharing knowledge generously. I am an educator, community leader, mentor, and international public speaker.