The first major hurtle of starting a business is writing the business plan.  I didn’t realize I needed this until I started looking into business loans.  Thank goodness for Toni Sears and Small Business Alliance of Kentucky.  She gave me templates and training to get me through this challenge.  This program really is your tax dollars at work.

Now, if you are a person trained in math and science, the business projections section is a mind-blowing experience.  I could write a mission statement, review the competition and plan equipment needed.  I could not understand the projections section.  Perhaps, if you have a business background you can not relate.  For me, this section was beyond comprehension.  I could not get it done.

I sat with Toni staring at her excel spreadsheets.  It seemed this was really something everyone else in the business world agreed was useful information.  To me, it was a magical journey through a world of unknowable numbers.  These numbers could not be proven.  I had to have a complete shift in my thinking.

When I had no other choice but to finish this section, I sat down to the computer.  Nothing.  A glass of wine later, I started filling in my spreadsheet.  I was embarrassed to take this mess to Toni Sears and review it.  She edited and made corrections.  We finished it and I presented it to several banks with my loan application.  I was approved for a loan and moved forward.

What did I learn?  There are parts of starting a business (and life) that seem impossible to get done.   Get help.  Get a new perspective on the problem.  Get it done even if its not perfect.  The project must move forward.  Sometimes you just haven’t found the right person or youtube video to help yet.  You will.