Plan to Become Unplanned
As I sit here looking out the window of a Yemeni coffee shop, I’m sipping hot—not iced—coffee because, to my surprise, the morning air had a chill. (Also, how am I just now discovering Yemeni coffee? Way more adventurous than my usual home brew, with a vibe that beats the harried Starbucks scene any day. And yes, their pastries are better too.)
But this post isn’t really about coffee, it’s about planning. Business planning specifically. September always flips the switch in my head to “planning mode.” Maybe it’s my lifelong love of school – and later office supplies, or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve now sent kids back to school 21 years in a row. Either way, my “new year” starts in September, not January.
That itch to plan had me reflecting not just on the year ahead, but on the business plan I wrote when I launched WindsorTurner five years ago. And when I thought about it, I nearly spit out my coffee laughing. Because while that plan was essential at the time, in practice it has very little to do with the business WindsorTurner is today.
For anyone considering entrepreneurship, let me stop you before you say: “See? You don’t need a business plan. Just trust your instincts.”
Wrong. You absolutely need one. At some point, you’ll want business capital—and the first thing an investor, or lender (even your mom) will ask for is your business plan. So yes, write one. The SBA has solid templates, or you can create your own. Locally, I’ve heard great things about Buffalo State’s Small Business Center, the Women’s Business Center at Canisius College, and The Exchange at Beverly Gray.
Still, don’t be surprised when you look back five years later and laugh at how little it resembles reality. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Revenue Projections
WindsorTurner’s actual revenue streams ended up coming from very different places than I originally imagined. Luckily—or maybe out of necessity—I seized new opportunities as they came. That openness led to lots of referrals (go us!) and even opened an entirely unexpected business segment. Had I been 100% locked in to my original plan, I might have walked away from that work. Instead, revenue has outpaced what I projected. (Again, go us.)
Expenses
Here’s where I bring you back down to earth. For every unplanned revenue stream, there will also be unplanned expenses. Many, many expenses. A few highlights: Office space. Working from home with the dogs was great, until I realized I couldn’t exactly host clients at my kitchen table. Listing my house as a business address wasn’t ideal either. (Pro tip: the UPS Store address trick doesn’t look great on Google, either.) Eventually, I had to invest in real office space.
Payroll. Turns out, I couldn’t do everything – which included for a time client work, billing, marketing, finding office space, (without help other than Larry and Lola’s – see note about working from home with dogs.) Nobody was volunteering, so payroll became an unavoidable line item. Other surprises? Coffee spilled on a computer. Extra insurance. And of course, WindsorTurner merch (non-negotiable).
Timeline
My original five-year forecast showed steady, manageable growth. Reality?
Year 1–2: No revenue.
Year 3: A little revenue, but expenses climbing faster.
Year 4: A big revenue bump—and equally big expenses.
Year 5: Things are balancing out… until another big expense (hello, accountants and attorneys).
Professional fees are always a shock. I now talk at light speed every time I’m on the phone with them, just to save money. But five years in, we’re finally seeing real balance—though I have a feeling a bigger office may be next.
So, when it comes to planning: embrace it like a crisp fall morning. Just remember that like a cozy flannel coat, you may need to shed it when the time comes.