i was newly divorced with two young children…so yea, it was very tuff being a single dad with kids trying to build a business.

The only time success comes before work, is in the dictionary.

Those who fail to plan plan to fail…

Sure, being an entrepreneur sounds easy, but is it? to become one most would agree you need to have experience, be a subject matter export in your craft, able to take risks and have a good work ethic…then you need a business plan. The plan can be a simple outline on a napkin, but will map out what your ultimate goal is with all that is needed to reach that goal…a business does not have to be brick & mortar nor glamours. The business can be as easy as dog watching (as long as it makes you income)…

The first 10 years I did EVERYTHING (proposals, land the jobs, design, do the work, pay the bills, reconcile books, and and and…). I found that I was so busy working on the business I had no time to actually do the work!!!..so I hired a bookkeeper,a CPA, sub contractors…sure, it was an expense but now I leverage all that admin time through them allowing me to have more time to actually grow the business.

any business depends on your subject expertise, willing to take risks, work ethic…before any road tip, you would not leave the house unless you had a destination and a map to get there. This is the same with a business plan. Pick a destination then map out how to get there. While mapping this out ask your question as to ‘why’ and ‘how long’ will I be there…sure, tiktok sounds lucritive and easy but will it still be there in 10 years??? You can go a traditional route like accounting, bookkeeping etc where you can work for others remotely for a great wage that you can scale as needed.

School (university) was not for me. Why? because it was NOT teaching me a tangible employable marketable skill set that I could hit the ground running…I decided to learn some tangible skills early on (Computer Aided Drafting) granted me the ability to get a job within the automotive industry. Like many others, I worked hard for 10+ years to make a good 6-figure income. While being laid off, I started a side hustle (trades) and now make 2-3x what I did as a designer!..my skill set cant be taught in school, nor can a work ethic. Sure, when laid off I could have spend 50k on a degree with the chance of being over educated and under employed OR invest that $$ into ME and start something…which I did. So its all subject to YOUR personal skill sets, drive, work ethic, demographics.

I own a landscape business and subcontract out all our snow removal business. Our snow season now is really unpredictable. 20 years ago we could count on pushing/salting at least once a week, now we average 6x a season. Sure the $$$ is good when you are working but if you are only working 1x every 4 weeks the point is mute. However, if you do get contracts (like us) you bid for the season. If you dont get any snow then its free $$. If you get more than expected then you could loose $$…you will make more $$ on ice melt than pushing…junk removal/dump trailer rental is good all year.

I had ZERO money but good credit. I was able to get equipment financing for 0% for 12 months. I had NO income source of income other than my own efforts. Made it work (hand to mouth) for over a year until I started to see real profit.

go to a trade school that will teach you an actual tangible employable skill set or a community college that will do the same. The key here is “tangible employable skills”…robot programming, HVAC, police/fire academy, electrical (ie, utilities), construction, construction management, CAD…

I was a tri-athelete back in the day…they guys I would train with met at the same park each day…many people like you set up shop giving away 10min massages for $10 to promote their services. Moral here is ‘go where the people are’

my best was to hire admin staff to get me out of the office so I can actually do what I like to do! (meet customers, sell jobs, do the work…)

if you want the drawings in 3D use “google sketch up”…if you know AutoCad and want 2D you can use: draftsite.

you can find sample templates only and use Word/Excel to write your plan…there is no magic app, just do it!!

School is NOT for everyone nor is it needed to start a business or a career. What you do need is a tangible marketable employable skill set…Why waste $50-100k on a bachelors degree, then more on a graduate degree when you can invest in yourself! (thats what I did)…some of the largest yacht owners at my yacht club do not have degrees yet have amazing businesses.

I have learned that when things dont work out that the opportunity simply is not ready…dont fret.

I write a new business plan each year using the premis; what went right, what went wrong, how can we improve…from there you will answer a lot of your own questions.

we do NOT volunteer, however, we do often work for free for some of our elderly customers.

tour guide…you can make $500/day just on tips.