All posts by Dan Boudreau

Dan Boudreau has devoted the last 20 years to coaching and mentoring regular folks into the captivating world of business. He authors and facilitates lively, transformative workshops on the topics of entrepreneurship, business planning, and training for trainers. He has inspired thousands of entrepreneurs to become successful business owners and leaders. Launching into his first venture in 1980 with barely enough knowledge to fill the back of a beer cap, he has embraced (and survived) the wide spectrum of business ownership, from single owner home-based enterprises to ventures employing more than 300 workers. Dan's top mission essentials are: laughing, loving, and learning. Armed with the business planning process as a teaching tool, Dan empowers ordinary women and men to create the financial stability and lifestyle they dream of. He is most proud of being acknowledged and appreciated by peers and friends for his ability to bring entrepreneurial ideas to fruition with a nod towards his warm, engaging personable style. In 2006, Dan compiled his knowledge (and bruises) into his first book, Business Plan or BUST! In writing this book, he combined his practical experience as a business owner with his expertise as a lender for an economic development agency, and tossed in his unique brand of wit. The end result: A refreshing perspective and practical style that makes the time-worn topic of business planning easy, fast and fun! When Dan takes those occasional days off from navigating the business world you might find him stuffed into a floating toothpaste tube sometimes referred to as a kayak (rarely right side up), or perhaps coaxing disturbing sounds from his guitar. His ultimate relaxation always involves fresh air, clean water and beaches—from botched attempts to outsmart fish in the rivers of northern British Columbia to flopping around in the waves or practicing applied inertia on just about any tropical sandy beach…
Online Business Planner's RoadMap, Writing a Business Plan

The Monkey, The Launch and High Fives

Leave a comment

The Online Business Planner’s RoadMap is open for business! Pause for a short break while the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis employees hand out high fives. Alright, back to business. What is the online Business Planner’s RoadMap you ask? Excellent question! In a nutshell the RoadMap is an online step-by-step guide to writing a business plan. The Online Business Planner’s RoadMap lives at the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis and can be accessed by members.

Online Business Planner’s RoadMap

As you explore the Business Plan Oasis and the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap you will run into this little guy:
Business Plan Oasis Monkey

We get a lot of questions along the lines of “So what’s with the monkey?”

The monkey is the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis mascot. He serves as a reminder that business ownership above all else, should be fun. The ultimate goal of owning and operating your own business is to spend your time, and energy doing something you love and as a result, earn a living. Your business plan is the jumping off point to you launching your business. It was with that in mind and with an eye to your business success that we created the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap.

Already a member? The Online Business Planner’s RoadMap video tutorial (how to use the RoadMap to write your business plan) is lat YouTube!

Click. Enjoy. Join. Unleash the small business within you.

Online Business Planner’s RoadMap

 

Business Planning, Owning a Business

Burning Business Plans is Sexy LOL

Leave a comment

Last week I was compelled to click on an article that dissed business plans… again.

Why, when the Internet is cluttered with articles that extol the benefits of writing a business plan, would I invest time reading anti-business plan rhetoric?

It is fear? Fear that some guru has figured out a way to bypass the business plan and transformed business start-up into a safe, clean, effortless experience. Not really.  Nor have I discovered any such gem—in fact, it seems to get more and more complicated to own a business, not easier.

Perhaps it’s a fascination with the idea that people are generally more easily attracted to negative news than positive. So, it rather makes sense that a headline that slags business planning would attract more reads than a positive title might. Maybe.

Perhaps I resent just a bit that people are drawn to articles telling them to take the lazy approach. It’s plain sexy to imagine that you can create the next Facebook without lifting a finger or getting your hands dirty.

Invariably, once I read the article bearing the business plan dissing title, I find it’s either a blatant marketing campaign for a slightly different product or someone advising entrepreneurs not to bother with writing a business plan. It’s easy to negate the benefit of a business plan when it’s not your investment or risk on the line.

And now, I have shamelessly used a negative title to get you to read this blog. Guilty. Oh well. If you read this, perhaps the end justified the means.

So, while you’re here and I’m shamelessly marketing, I invite you to check out the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap at http://www.riskbuster.com/online-business-planners-roadmap-description/

Entrepreneurship, Owning a Business

Dan’s Business Playground Nuggets

Leave a comment


1. Abundance is all around us.

2. Ask and listen and the answers will appear.

3. Be courteous – say please and thank you.

4. Believe in people and they will continually amaze you.

5. Family and friends are gifts from God – love them openly.

6. Give and you will receive.

7. Paddle with the current, when possible.

8. When you must paddle against the current, do it with purpose.

9. Keep your eyes on the prize, not your demise.

10. Listen to your customers and they will tell you what they want.

11. Problems are always accompanied by solutions.

12. Rent seekers will find you and cling to you – be vigilant and frugal.

13. Scrimp and save your money daily, your savings will save you one day.

14. Serve customers well and they will pay you and tell their friends and return for more.

15. Taking action is more energizing than stressing about problems.

16. The more money is at stake, the more energy surrounds it.

17. Work hard and you will be rewarded.

18. Under promise and over deliver.

19. When things go badly in business, you the owner will always be blamed.

20. When things go well in business, you will sometimes get the credit.

21. Maintain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness and balance.

22. Most people will be friendly, but not all.

23. Loyalty is more precious and rare than money.

24. Time is more precious than money.

25. Surprisingly large projects can be completed over and above your regular workday.

26. When you get tired, problems will appear to be larger.

27. When you get tired, allow yourself to rest.

Online Business Planner's RoadMap, Starting a Business, Writing a Business Plan

It’s Here! The Online Business Planner’s RoadMap

1 Comment

It’s here! The Online Business Planner’s RoadMap is open for business. That’s great, you say, but what is the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap? Excellent question! In a nutshell the RoadMap is a step-by-step guide to writing a business plan.

Do we help you navigate the murky waters of market research? Definitely! Do we have  an easy way to complete financials? Absolutely! And we’ll even do you one better – we’ve created the Biz4Caster™ a forecasting spreadsheet tool that makes financials as easy as entering your numbers. The formulas take care of the complicated parts.

And more so, the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap is interactive so you don’t need to plan your business in vacuum.  We know better than anyone, that when planning a business there are many “speed-bumps” that can slow you down. It can be frustrating to be held back for wont of a simple, quick answer to a question or direction on where to find information. We have a network of industry professionals, business plan coaches and entrepreneurs who make up our community forum and are standing by to answers questions.

Okay, you say, but is it fast, easy and fun? Yes, Yes and YES! There’s monkey’s and palm trees, seriously, how could it not be fun?

Which brings me the question what’s up with the monkey?

The monkey is the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis mascot. He serves as reminder that business ownership, above all else, should be fun and the ultimate goal of owning your own business is to do spend your time, and energy doing something you love and are passionate about and as a result make some money. Your business plan is the jumping off point to you launching your business. With that in mind and with an eye to your business success we bring you the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap. The RoadMap is accessible to members of the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis.

To learn more or become a member visit:

Online Business Planner’s RoadMap

Short pause while the team at the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis hands out high hives. The video tutorial guide to using the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap is ready.

The following tutorial is an introduction to using the Online Business Planner’s RoadMap.

Welcome to the RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis. We’re glad you’ve found us and we wish you success in all your business pursuits.