Writing a Business Concept Statement in 250 Words or Less

Writing a Business Concept Statement can be tough enough - doing it in 250 words or less adds to the challenge. Take your entrepreneurial dream and putting it on paper = priceless!

Business Concept Statement

You want to make sure that your business concept includes:

**The features of what your business does (product or service) and why you do it. (take some of the points from your mission statement if you have one).

**The "what's in it for me" for your customers. How will your product or service make it easier for your customer? How will it enhance their life/their experience/their appearance?

**What sets you apart? Why is your business unique?

**Who are your clients or who will they be (target market) and why?

Think like a reporter....

What does company XYZ sell or do?

How is it different from other companies, products, services?

Who will buy ____________?

Why will they buy from you? (ie: price, availability, confidence, etc...)

Where will ______________ be sold/marketed?

When will you sell your products (if this is a start up and you are not established or in growth phase)

How will you market, promote, and inform people about __________________?

Once you get your plan on paper, review it with your team. If you are a solopreneur, review it with someone you have shared your vision with. Ask for input and advice. Once you've polished it, let someone unfamiliar with the business read over your concept statement. You'll need to keep it brief but make sure it conveys everything about your plan for success. An outsider will ask questions and help you see any missing pieces of the puzzle.

Committed Managers or Passionate Leaders?

Committed Managers or Passionate Leaders?

Thousands of Manager Jobs post across the country each day. Many of the job postings say they want a committed manager. Let’s break this down and decide what employers are really looking for. I venture so far as to say that most organizations are seeking passionate leaders and NOT committed managers, and yet many business men and women would say there is little difference between the two.

First, the word committed, by definition means: To put in trust or charge.

A Manager, by definition is: A person responsible for controlling or administering all or part of a company or similar organization.

Combining the two definitions above helps define what a committed manager is. A committed manager is someone in charge who controls those people who answer to them. Take a few moments to think about each word in that definition. The more I think about words like manage and control the less I like the title of manager. I truly believe that animals, and especially humans, were not meant to be controlled. Take the story of Adam and Eve or if you prefer to stay away from the religious side of things, look at how a horse is broken. The key to breaking a horse is to teach them to respond correctly and work with a rider. When training a horse, the goal is to break the horse but not break their spirit. There are countless examples of this: raising children, team sports like football, etc…

None of us want to be controlled. So why do so many of us aspire to be managers. If I don’t want to BE controlled, I should not aspire to control others. This is where the term: Passionate Leader becomes so important.

First, the word passionate, by definition means: having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling.

A Leader, by definition is: A person followed by others.

Combining the two definitions above helps define what a passionate leader is. A passionate leader is someone who has an intense emotion for their profession and someone who others follow. This sounds like something I could aspire to be. I can love what I do and can share that emotion or common goal with others through my own example. No breaking or controlling involved. I am who I am and others want to be like me….hmmmmm….

I guess I know what title I would prefer, and more than just a title – I know which person I would prefer to be.

~Crystal

Grab a Spoon - Stir That Pot!

Crystal here, with some thoughts that have been on my mind. I am the type of person who asks questions about everything. Yup...it was annoying in first grade and it's still really annoying...BUT...if knowledge is power and you gain knowledge by asking questions then she who asks the most questions wins, right? Not that life is a game of winning or losing or a game at all, it just reminds me of that saying "he who dies with the most toys wins" which also holds no water, so just something funny. OK - now for the point.

I worked for a decade in an environment where one of our rules to live by included the phrase "don't stir the pot" and I understood what was meant by the saying so I never questioned it. In context, it simply meant that you shouldn't gossip about something, just get back to work. That's a great philosophy, but last week or so I started thinking about the saying itself in the literal sense. Can't believe it took me this long, but I guess I was too busy to question it...anyway, now I ask: What happens if you don't stir a pot?

*the food burns
*your mean sticks and the pot is ruined
*the meal becomes inedible
*your hard work preparing the meal goes down the drain
*the house smells like charred food
*your family never gets to sit down to a hot meal

So...grab a spoon and stir that pot. The difference between stirring the pot and gossiping needs to be clearly defined though. Make sure you're talking to the RIGHT people, about the RIGHT things, for the RIGHT reasons and providing solutions. Otherwise, you still end up with stinky air, a ruined pot, and you never get to enjoy the delicious meal.

Pretty random thoughts and hope this wasn't too hard to follow - just felt I had to share.

I'm off to go grab a spoon and stir the pot (of spaghetti that is - at least at our house tonight)!

~Crystal


Do you have other sayings that are just plain funny or you wonder where they came from or what they mean? Post them here, it would be great to discuss them!