Starting a business can be daunting. Without a fluent business model, the challenges of creating the next revolutionary marketplace or life-changing app might prove too much to manage. So how do you successfully map out a clear plan when the future is so unpredictable? Jeremiah Owyang (@jowyang) suggests creating a storyboard as a fresh and inspiring solution to this problem.

“Before writing the business plan, I drew out a storyboard, just like you see before a movie is shot, illustrating key phases the company should go through.”

Find your happy place

Starting a business is a creative process and odds are, your idea to solve a problem or provide a service evolved from something you are passionate about. Immerse yourself in a creative and thought-nurturing environment to get the juices flowing.

Put pencil to paper

There is something special about using a pencil in today’s digital age. Remove yourself from technology and let your entrepreneurial spirit blossom while you sketch. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a Rembrandt in order to be effective.

“I went to mother nature to do some deep thinking, and wound up in a Redwood forest near my house, with a moleskin.”

By sketching out a storyboard, you can develop your ideas in a structured way. Draw frames that include important parts of the business and tie those scenes together with detail until you have a complete “storyline.” A comprehensive understanding of your future business is the first step in bringing it to life.

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