Plans

I have a plan to write the ever elusive business plan. 

But, before I get to the part about what the plans are for making my writerly way toward the perfect business plan, I realized you all may not know how I got to this point right here … this exact moment where a plan is necessary.

So, let me catch you up. I promise it will be brief and delightful. And if you’d like to do some serious delving into the pie-filled past on your own you can start at the beginning here:teenypies.tumblr.com

Without further ado. 

Once upon a time I was a very tiny girl who stood at the elbow of her mother and learned how to make pie. Birthdays, holidays, picnics … my childhood was filled with flaky, homemade pastry. I left the nest to pursue an education and a career in acting which led me to Ithaca, NY and then on to Chicago, IL. I moved into my first grown up apartment and my mom sent me  a care package including my very own rolling pin and pie tin, which I promptly forgot about until one Sunday in October, four years after moving in. I began baking a pie once a week to chase away the winter chill. One pie turned into several pies which turned into hosting pie parties and contemplating a huge change in the direction of my life. I decided to go on a Tour of Pie … an apprenticing journey across the U.S., hopping from pie shop to pie shop to learn the ins and outs of baking in bulk and small business owning. The tour of pie was a resounding success, I met women across the country who became teachers and mentors, and most importantly I learned exactly what it took to start a business.

Halfway through my trip, after proving to Workman Publishing Co. that I was a witty and wonderful writer as well as a super pie baker they agreed to let me write a cookbook. I wrote about my travels, friends and the adventure of changing my whole life all the while dreaming up new pie flavors I wanted to give to the world. I moved to Washington, D.C. with my then boyfriend/now husband, completed and published the book, Teeny’s Tour of Pie, and because that wasn’t nearly enough I started my own business, Teeny Pies. I spent the last two and a half years working out of communal kitchens and selling at farmer’s markets. Which brings me to here … the point where I go from farmer’s market ace to pie shop proprietor.

Much like when I began the Tour of Pie I’m not quite sure how to move forward, despite knowing change is the next and right choice. What I loved about being on tour was that with lots of passion and hard work everything seemed to fall into place; the more I learned the clearer the way seemed to become. So, with a lot more to learn and a hope that things will become clear, it’s time to have a plan.

The business plan plan is where I plan to start. I’ve several excellent examples to model after and a few mentos and fellow business owners who have expressed a willingness to provide feedback. My hope is that I’ll be able to write the hell out of it. The first draft was bad not great. I think in an attempt to sound very serious and professional I forgot to be engaging or compelling; my voice was lost amidst the dry prattle of facts and figures. The fact is I have an engaging story, an epic and compelling amount of experience, and I’ve been told I’m a pretty great writer. 

So, the plan is to write, write, write, write, over-write, read it, have other people read it, then edit, edit, edit. I’m pretty sure that’s the way I’m going to write a stellar business plan. I might also throw in some cartoons or clip art … that’s sure to show the money people that I’m serious … right? 

Photo by Katie Parra