DESIGN
your business
IN 365 DAYS HOW BIG DO YOU DREAM?
#bookplanner
AUDREY HEPBURN epitomized grace and style, not only in her appearance but in her essence. Whether in fashion, relationships, her work, her home life, there is no one more worthy of imitation. ............................................................................... “PICK A DAY. ENJOY IT. THE DAY AS IT COMES. PEOPLE AS THEY COME… THE PAST, I THINK HAS HELPED ME APPRECIATE THE PRESENT AND I DON’T WANT TO SPOIL ANY OF IT BY FRETTING ABOUT THE FUTURE.” AH ............................................................................... AUDREY was essentially a private person, and somewhat shy, and perhaps frightened, at times, by all that was expected of her, and yet she got out there (meaning, the world) and acted, and tried, and created something that lives beyond her, even today, a generation after her death. So we will say this: if you have the change to travel, to contribute, to improve someone’s life in whatever small or large way, to go off to see the world, to ride a Vespa in Rome… Go! AUDREYwould encourage us today. AUDREY share herself with the world. Who met her once, never forgot it.
DESIGN
your business
IN 365 DAYS
Associazione Nazionale Business Designer
HOW BIG DO YOU DREAM?
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
DESIGN your business IN 365 DAYS BY CRISTINA MARSAN WWW.CHRISTINEMARIEMARSAN.IT COPYRIGHT ® DESIGN IN 365 DAYS WWW.ASSOCIAZIONENAZIONALEBUSINESSDESIGNER.IT no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trasmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in wihich it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
FROM ITALY WITH LOVE HAND-MADE BOOKPLANNER PAPER USED ARE FROM WELL-MANAGED FORESTS AND OTHER RESPONSIBLE SOURCES .
IN CASE OF LOSS RETURN TO THE DREAMER
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
why this book?_ business This book was one of the most difficult to write, but, in a strange way, one of the more gratifying.
especially now that it is in full bloom!
Watching this book grow has been an arduous process, but I have received great support from my wonderful team of Business Designers who have helped it to flower. They have taken part in this ambitious project and have helped it to become a reality. I would like to thank all those who have never ceased to make me smile and never stopped me from having a dream to fulfill. If you have not yet started your business, this is the right time to do it:
thinking about the opportunities that your business can have, developing them on the basis of its main strengths and allowing you to reach your goals, with the highest chance of success. I will be with you for 365 days, 52 weeks of the year, and I will support you in your journey alongside my team of Business Designers. Our team of Business Designers has supported entrepreneurs like you for over 30 years. We know what you’re thinking. we understand your passion and your potential. This bookplanner helps you to define and build your business plan, strategies and objectives. We will follow and support you as your personal coach on a daily basis, motivating and inspiring you along this extraordinary journey.
Cristina Marsan
founder
why paper?
Someone told us that now everything is done digitally, that paper is dead. We don’t think that this is the case. We are convinced that the written word still holds great power; that gripping your pen between your fingers is a way to reorder the most human thoughts, very different from tapping on a computer keyboard. Because before you make a mark on a sheet you have to think: just like you have to think to create a successful business.
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
now let’s start! First of all, be open to ideas that come from outside your business. put your ideas down on paper. You can use “your business Design in 365 Days” every day for this. Even ideas for your business, like the rest of your company, can be improved. Connect with your ideas, extend them to your customers. Only they can give you truly high-quality tips and ideas, so that they can be applied immediately to your business. Ask them questions whose answers can give you new ideas for your business. Stay focused on what is happening around you.
Your business idea is a creation of your own mind, the mind of an entrepreneur,
and nothing else. All the rest is a tool that helps you to achieve it.
how to use this book This is a bookplanner with 52 challenges that you can complete in a year, one each week, to build your business. Feel free to start whenever you like. “Design your business in 365 Days” was not meant to be read all at once. Instead, consider the possibility of surfing it, concentrating on a small chapter each week. The following week, open the book and concentrate on the second chapter, and so on. We’ll call it “single-tasking”. It is not necessary to try to make all the changes proposed in the book. You can simply collect 10 aspects, or 20, and focus on these, putting them into practice for two or three weeks. You can choose 12 and apply one a month. Not all 52 challenges work for everyone. Just keep focusing on one of the others, or take a break. However,...if all 52 recommendations fit your business, feel free to follow them all. You do not have to follow the order in which they are proposed, but it might be fun to try. “Design your business in 365 Days” contains 52 challenges that I came up with and that I think are the most important. Why exactly are there 52 rather than 45 or 73? Also for a matter of practicality: in a year there are 52 weeks, 52 challenges, one per week. I could have chosen 12, but that would have been less fun! I present you with 52 challenges, and thank you for reading them.
1week
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
1week
dream_focus better and quit more often
quote Steve Maraboli
focus on Before you start up a business, you need to have an idea that you believe in. It should be well-researched and innovative. You must keep in mind that an impressive start-up idea will get the attention of investors who can fund your creation and support you through the launch and growth stages. More often than not, coming up with the idea involves a lot of hard work and introspection. Put your concept through a set of questions before you move forward. Will it generate revenue? Will it be popular? Why? How likely is failure? Remember that roughly nine out of 10 businesses fail. What puts you into that remaining 10 percent?
objectives Your idea should solve a genuine problem. The story is important. Ask for feedback. Look at things you really like doing. Fear of failure is counterproductive: you need to tell yourself that you are capable of doing it.
“You have had a dream for so many years.
Let today be the day you make a plan for it.
Just think about how much more likely you are to hit your target when you finally aim at it.”
reflection questions Ask yourself:
1. Does Your Business Idea Solve a Problem? 2. Does It Fit You Personally? 3. Why Haven’t You Started Your Business Yet?
priorities > Make a “creativity board”. > Start by taking a large poster board. > Put the words “New Business” in the center and create a collage of images, sayings, articles, poems and other inspirations. > Make a list of people who are where you want to be.
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
1week
day #1
from
day #2
day #3
07
07
07
08
08
08
09
09
09
10
10
10
11
11
11
12
12
12
13
13
13
14
14
14
15
15
15
16
16
16
17
17
17
18
18
18
19
19
19
20
20
20
date
to
day #4
day #5
#we
07
07
07
08
08
09
09
09
11
10
10
13
11
11
15
12
12
17
13
13
19
14
14
07
15
15
09
16
16
11
17
17
13
18
18
15
19
19
17
20
20
19
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
day #1
date
quote Vincent van Gogh
main points I am sure that you have more than one good idea ready to be transformed into a high-potential business start-up. In most cases, you already have a large amount of possible business ideas. Maybe they are potential business opportunities. Maybe they are your biggest strengths, or experience, or skills that nobody else has. You have probably already developed a solution to solve a problem of your own, or satisfy your own needs. Why not think about this?
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
challenges 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
thoughts
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1w
day #2 main points Developing a start-up means developing totally new products and services, totally new processes, and totally new business models. So, why would you expect to have knowledge, skills and experience of something that doesn’t exist yet? On the other hand, you need to build your experience, or hire other people, or bring in partners that will give you that necessary experience. So, it can’t be an obstacle on your entrepreneurial journey. Remove this barrier on your way to starting a business.
date
quote “You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination.”
challenges 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1w
thoughts
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
day #3
date
quote
main points You cannot allow yourself to come up with exceptional ideas and assume that they will guarantee the success of your start-up. You aren’t the right person to judge your ideas, but your potential customers will tell you whether an idea is exceptional, or good, or bad. Your business idea is just the starting point of your entrepreneurial career. Its transformation into excellent products and services will require many improvements and alterations.
“If you have a dream, don’t just sit there. Gather courage to believe that you can succeed and leave no stone unturned to make it a reality.”
challenges 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
thoughts
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1w
day #4 main points
date
quote Paulo Coelho
If you have too many ideas and don’t know which to choose. And you are still not sure the idea will work. This means you will need to research your ideas in order to prioritize them, and start talking to potential customers to choose the best ones. Sometimes, there is the possibility to merge several ideas into one. In this case, you can categorize them to see which ideas can be combined.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.�
challenges 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1w
thoughts
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
day #5
date
quote Eleanor Roosevelt
main points You probably don’t want to share a piece of the cake with additional partners. But, it may be the biggest mistake that you make and something that could prevent you from getting your winning idea up and running. Partners will bring not only necessary money, but also additional competency to your start-up team. Don’t wait to collect enough money in order to start your business.
“The future belongs to those who believe
in the beauty of their dreams.”
challenges 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
thoughts
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1w
#weekend
date
main points you are afraid to start:
Don’t be afraid, don’t worry, believe in the process and move forward. If you are persistent enough, and use what you will have learned and experienced in the next action steps, you will cover your losses in the form of money and time.
#sat
challenges
#sun
07
07
08
08
09
09
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
thoughts
15
16
16
17
17
18
18
19
19
20
20
1w
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
1week weekly learnings
positive perceptions
negative perceptions
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM • EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM
When you invest in yourself,
you’ll also be investing
in your dreams.
and in the dreams of someone else too.
Jump into your idea, into your business.
59,00 €
www.designin365days.com MADE IN ITALY