Many think they have a plan, and some do, but most don’t. Coconino County started its BBE training after it began offering its IDA match saving grant opportunity which requires participants to have a viable business plan. We informed our IDA our applicants we needed their plans prior to them receiving a grant. Everyone said, "No problem." Later, after their required 6-months of saving we asked for their plans and they’d say, "It’s all right here," pointing at their heads. We, just like a bank loan officer, needed a written plan, which disappointed them. The research at that time said, 1) most businesses were failing within 5-years, and 2) failure was typically due to two reasons -- lack of a written business plan, and lack of capital. Business owners get blind-sided by market, competitor, or cashflow challenges they don’t consider. Expert facilitators, guest speakers, and lots of other resources help our BBE enrollees anticipate challenges, design viable solutions, and write coherent plans.
