Business plans:
Essential or passé?
We’ve all been told you need a business plan to succeed, but is it true? How much of a difference does having a business plan actually make? When do you need one? How long should it be? And where do you even start in putting one together if / when you do decide to jump on the business plan train?
We sat down with three people who’ve ‘been there, done that’ to hear their take on business planning for startups and ‘young’ companies.
JOE MORRISON
Kitsap Economic Development Alliance
With a heart for creating value, entrepreneurs, and growing equity of opportunity, Joe Morrison is the Executive Director of the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance. Prior to taking the helm at KEDA, Joe built and ran the 49th State Angel Fund in Anchorage, Alaska, a $12.7 million venture capital fund-of-funds. He’s also an occasional adjunct professor in matters of entrepreneurship and finance. Joe has lived in Port Orchard since 2017.
Connect with Joe on LinkedIn, or by email.
Download Joe’s Lighting Talk presentation slides below.
LINDSEY SYLLING
Sylling’s Elderberry
Transforming a family recipe to a successful small business, Lindsey Sylling of Sylling’s Elderberry brings her perspective on building a business from nothing, to a staple in our community. Financial strategies, smart business practices, how to drive a demand in the market and the entrepreneurship hustle is all a part of her business plan. Lindsey has not only become an expert in her craft, she has also conquered the ever-changing business market and looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you.
Connect with Lindsey by email.
Download Lindsey’s Lighting Talk presentation slides below.
ROBERT JAEGER
Senior Consultant
A senior technical and business consultant, engineer and physicist, Robert Jaeger launched his first startup in hardware cryptography at the age of 17. Since then, he’s had a storied career across the private, public and nonprofit sectors, with expertise ranging from technical counter-terrorism and data acquisition, to business and corporate development; business plans and proposals; contract management; electrical, mechatronic and civil engineering, and more. Previously, Robert served as the Keiretsu Forum Northwest Director of Due Diligence, advising companies and leading over a dozen due diligence teams, which resulted in over $50M in investments. Robert also led a 501c organization for over a decade.
Connect with Robert on LinkedIn, or by email.
Download Robert’s Lighting Talk presentation slides below.
Recommended reading
The following reads come recommended by our Lighting Talk speakers.
- “An introduction to Lean Canvas“, by Steve Mullen
- “Painkiller or vitamin? Using jobs-to-be-done to identify and solve customer needs“, by Kyle Sandburg
- Profit first: Transform your business from a cash-eating monster to a profit-making machine, by Mike Michalowicz
- Running lean: Iterate from Plan A to a plan that works, by Ash Maurya
Special thanks to our partners
The Lunchtime Lighting Talks series is offered through the Matchstick Lab Microbusiness Accelerator program at Vibe Coworks. Funding for the Microbusiness Accelerator has been provided by the Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA), thanks to a grant made by the Washington State Department of Commerce.