Here is another article I wrote for LinkedIn that I think worth repeating…

Dec 11, 2015

I began Choozi Entertainment in January of 2005.  Every year, I have pulled out my business plan and have re-read it, to see if there was anything I wasn’t doing, or anything that needed to be changed.  I have never, over the course of the past 10 years, revised the original document … that was until this year when I asked myself if keeping my trademark was really necessary?  With the advent of the internet, and domain names, I have paid much more attention to keeping my domain names current, than I have keeping my trademark.

As you can see, I had a trademark on “Expect the Unexpected” in association with my business name.  If I had a nickel for every time I have heard this expression on television, I’d have another year’s retirement in the bank.  The expression is terribly over-used anymore so I decided to eliminate it from my business plan, although I am still known for ‘out of the box’ thinking and creating entertainments which have never been done before.  My clients do expect the unexpected from me.  It’s just who I am.

I have three extensive documents created for my business, that being my Business Plan, my Operating Manual (ISO), and my Statement of Qualifications (SOQ), all which need continual updating.  Keeping these documents current is a full time job, as most business owners know.  My ISO Operating Manual was created specifically for the Cruise Industry portion of my work, so while I no longer am pursuing cruise contracts, I archived this document after my last audit was completed.

I recently updated my SOQ.  It took me more than a month in which to do so, having added so many new products to my company’s offerings, as my first SOQ was created before I landed cruise line contacts.  The nice thing about updating your SOQ is that you ADD to it, not subtract, so it is a positive exercise for any business owner who has had growth and wants to track it sufficiently.

I have finally come to my Business Plan.  I have it laid out in 4 sections … 1) Executive Summary 2) The Business (Business Description, Core Values, Marketing, Competition, Operating Procedures, and Personnel) 3) Financial Data (Capital Equipment and Supply List, Pro Forma Income Projections, Break Even Analysis) 4) Supporting Documents (Licenses, Legal Documents, Certifications, Resumes of Principals).  Out of all the information in my Business Plan, the one document I come back to over and over again are my “Core Values”.  I come back to them often to ensure I am working within these tenets.  They are:

• CREATIVITY … as an entertainment company, Choozi recognizes its’ creativity must have the ability to astonish in order to achieve ultimate success. This word, “creativity”, stands alone and is the driving force behind everything Choozi does
• INTEGRITY … truth, honesty, honor, reliability, uprightness, strength, veracity.       This is Choozi
• SERVICE … Choozi believes that the only way our products and services can continually satisfy our customers and clients is by being readily available to our customers and clients. We answer the phone when it rings, we strive to be active listeners, we show up at events and take a personal interest in every job we do
• REASONABLE PRICING … Choozi’s pricing guidelines are dictated by need, not greed.       Maintaining low overhead provides cost savings to our clients
• PLAYFULLNESS … all concepts and entertainments Choozi creates and produces are derived from a sense of playfulness. We believe retaining our childlike amusement and our gift for wonder motivates everything we do
• PASSION … Choozi believes to be successful in your work, you must be passionate about your work. We love what we do and we were put on this earth to do it
• COMPETENCE … Choozi’s ability to successfully and efficiently provide clients entertainment that remains a cut above our competition is derived from our high level of competence … a result of Choozi’s extensive resume, spanning a wide variety of situations, that allows us to execute our work with confidence!