What purpose will my business serve

The easy answer to this question is "plumbing". However this is not a complete answer. In answering this question I listed the following points;
1. The customers home is most likely their most important asset
2. What they value in their home is a safe place to live, raise a family. In other word security.
3. One thing that will threaten this security is plumbing problems that can damage their home.

Therefore what I am providing is peace of mind that the well being of their home is being properly addressed by providing honest, considerate, dependable, and qualified plumbing service.

What business am I creating?

I left off the last time with the five points that are to be addressed when writing a business plan. The first is what business am I trying to create?
1. I want to start with honesty as the foundation of the business I am trying to create. If I can't have a profitable business with employees and run it honestly then I am interested in this process at all. I will just do what I am doing and be grateful.

2. The next important part of business is customer service. I want to deal with the customers with understanding and consideration. I should keep in mind that I am in THEIR house and should be respectful of that. I didn't always get this and that was a mistake.

3. The easy part of this question is to be a full service residential plumbing company.


So to answer the question "What business am I trying to create ?" I would say;

My goal is to create a honestly run customer oriented full service residential plumbing company.

Business Plan

The E Myth says that a business plan should clearly describe the following;
1. The business you are creating
2. The Purpose it will serve
3. The Vision it will pursue
4. The process through which you will turn that Vision into a Reality
5. The way money works as your business grows to realize your vision

These are simple points however describing what business I am actually trying to create is not so clear to me at this point. I am going to think each point through, write down my thoughts, organize them then write a business plan. Getting started is important as my understanding of the principals grows I can modify or change the plan. Back in a while.

Getting started with business plan

I never had a business plan, never knew that I needed one. I just went into business. I was never good at taking directions so working for myself seemed like a good idea. The E Myth book says that "Every contractor must have a plan. Without a business plan a business can do little more than survive." That is what I have been doing just surviving. Don't get me wrong I am very grateful for the work I have and the money I make but I have reached a point where my business can not advance with out some fundamental change in the way I am operating. In short I need direction or maybe a course of action which I can follow in a systematic way. I need a plan.