Tips for a Better Business Plan

Name the actual thing, not the category

"I bake" gets you a generic plan. "I've been making sourdough for three years and everyone asks me to bring it to parties" gets you a real one. Same goes for "I'm crafty" versus "I make custom embroidered patches."

Vague: Photography Specific: I shoot film photos of old buildings and post them on Instagram, people keep asking if they're for sale

The "what people come to you for" question matters most

This is usually where the actual business idea is hiding. Don't just list your hobby, think about what you've already done for free. Have you planned a friend's whole trip? Fixed someone's resume? Organized a chaotic garage in an afternoon? That's data, use it.

Vague: I'm good with organization Specific: My sister asked me to help pack her whole kitchen before a move and I ended up building her a full pantry system

Be honest about hours, not hopeful

If you can realistically give this 3 hours a week most weeks, say 3, not 10. The plan gets built around the real number. An overly optimistic number gets you a plan you can't actually follow.

Name your real blocker, not the polite version

"Not sure where to start" is fine if that's genuinely it. But if the real answer is "I'm scared to charge people money" or "I don't think anyone would actually pay for this," say that instead. The plan can only address what you actually tell it.

Non-negotiables are worth a full sentence

"No weekends" is useful. "No weekends because that's my only time with my kids and I'm not willing to trade it" is more useful, it tells the AI not to suggest a Saturday workshop as your first move.

If you don't know, say so, don't guess to fill the blank

"Not sure" is a real answer and it's better than a made-up one. A guessed answer sends the plan in a direction based on something that isn't true. Leaving it accurate, even if vague, gets you a plan that still fits.