Songwriting For Dummies

Business Plans For Dummies

"Um, Fortune...

Why are you writing about, of all things...a business plan? I thought this blog was about being creative and writing songs."

Well, first of all, I have a business degree. And I'm not afraid to use it. Second, I've already run a business. And you know what?

I would've run it better if I'd known I should have a business plan. My business degree was great for teaching things like accounting (ugh, but  necessary), advertising, retailing, marketing, sales, taxes, insurance, economics, business communications, etc. 

But honestly, I've never seen a business curriculum that included a course on business planning. I was considering getting a B.S. in business or marketing, but none of the programs I looked into had a business planning course. 

They should have. 

"Ok, ok, but what does this have to do with songwriting?" 

If you're serious about making money from songwriting, you need a business plan. A business plan basically helps you figure out who, what, when, where, why, and how you'll do things.

 

When you tell people you're a songwriter, they pepper you with questions:

- "Who will buy your songs? Are you selling them to the public, or to the business community?"

- "What kind of music will you write? What genre?"

- "When will you record your songs, and start selling them?"

- "Where will you do it? Will you have to move to Nashville or LA?"

- "Why would you want to do that? You know you can't make any money at it."

- "How will you market your songs?"

The issue with these questions is that most of them are legit, and they have to be answered - both for yourself and people around you, like your family, friends, employer, and anybody else who could be affected by your decision to be a songwriter. A well-organized business plan can reassure people who really do need answers because of the possible impact on their lives.

If you know me for more than five minutes, you know I'm the world's biggest fan of the For Dummies books. They're extremely thorough, they're written by experts, they're easy to understand, and they're pretty funny, which makes them easy to digest. They're my first point of reference when I need information on something. 

Business Plans For Dummies, 3rd edition, by Paul Tiffany, Ph.D., and Steven D. Peterson, Ph.D., takes the reader through the steps of creating a practical, usable business plan that is easy to read, review and revise regularly. It won't be used as a doorstop.

I'm using it now for my business plan for songwriting, and I couldn't be more pleased. I picked the right book for this daunting task. 

The For Dummies motto says "You're no dummy." 

Using this book for your songwriting business plan will prove that!