Best Actionable Business Plan for iPhone and iTune Apps
A lot of people like music. So much so that sometimes you can see the fingers thumping to a tune broadcast through the iPhone’s iTunes App. So much so that it got me to thinking about how cool it would be to create a series of iPhone Apps that work with iTunes and the One Page Business Plan.
Don’t worry. I am sure that once the Apps community gets hold of these ideas they will be developed – and then we will get to use them. Oh, go ahead and click on the title for each section, it will bring you to a broadcast of the song. After all, Apps are meant to be interactive.
Yes, Johnny Nash had it right. He saw that the rain had gone and he had a bright sun-sunshiny day. This song hums in the background as you and your team are preparing your business vision, identifying what you are building, what your products and services are, what markets will you serve, and what your sales targets are.
It works quickly, just like the song, and sprints along as you fill in the blanks to the vision template supplied.
That’s right; you can see the IM team racing through the previews to hear the message from the boss about the new episode’s mission as composed by Lalo Schifrin or more recently by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. The mission is a timeless one, but it helps the team race along to answer why they are building their company, especially identifying what their competitive edge is and what they want to be known for.
Yes, according to Ladybug Landslide’s song by the same name, we need to get real specific about what results we will measure, you know, how much you want to increase sales, how much you want for net profit – real specific numbers, especially so that you can track them monthly, quarterly, and yearly. What’s the point if you don’t specify objectives that you can then accomplish? Well? 
Well, for those who know me, I guess you figured I would get Les McCann’s and Eddie Harris’ signature song from Swiss Movement in the mix. You see, we need to understand how we are going to build this business over time, how we will attract and retain customers, how we’ll differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Our business strategies need to be real – compared to what? You need to state them, and then develop objectives and action plans to implement your strategies. Yes, I can hear it now…”Tryin' to make it real — compared to what?”
And again. Steely Dan mentions that quite a bit in this song. At this point in the One Page Business Plan process we need to focus on defining the work to be done – and take action. In many ways the implementation phase is all about steps to be taken, tasks to be refined and completed. And then each year you get to do it again, yes “You go back Jack do it again.”
Now the question is whether or not those snarky iPhone App developers will be able to integrate these songs into an actionable One Page Plan. Hmmm, perhaps we have the making of a Plan – now, if I can just find that App developer who would like to collaborate with me. He can design the App – and I can help him develop his One Page Plan.
One question – what five songs would you apply to each of the different parts of the plan – the vision, mission, objectives, strategies, and action plan? I’d love to hear your suggestions – for that App of course.
