<!DOCTYPE html> <html <?php language_attributes(); ?>> <head> <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-171252574-1"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-171252574-1'); </script> <meta charset="<?php bloginfo( 'charset' ); ?>" /> <?php elegant_description(); elegant_keywords(); elegant_canonical(); /** * Fires in the head, before {@see wp_head()} is called. 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' style="padding-top: 0px;"' : ''; ?> <div id="page-container"<?php echo et_core_intentionally_unescaped( $page_container_style, 'fixed_string' ); ?>> <?php if ( $product_tour_enabled || is_page_template( 'page-template-blank.php' ) ) { return; } $et_secondary_nav_items = et_divi_get_top_nav_items(); $et_phone_number = $et_secondary_nav_items->phone_number; $et_email = $et_secondary_nav_items->email; $et_contact_info_defined = $et_secondary_nav_items->contact_info_defined; $show_header_social_icons = $et_secondary_nav_items->show_header_social_icons; $et_secondary_nav = $et_secondary_nav_items->secondary_nav; $et_top_info_defined = $et_secondary_nav_items->top_info_defined; $et_slide_header = 'slide' === et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) || 'fullscreen' === et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) ? true : false; ?> <?php if ( $et_top_info_defined && ! $et_slide_header || is_customize_preview() ) : ?> <?php ob_start(); ?> <div id="top-header"<?php echo $et_top_info_defined ? '' : 'style="display: none;"'; ?>> <div class="container clearfix"> <?php if ( $et_contact_info_defined ) : ?> <div id="et-info"> <?php if ( '' !== ( $et_phone_number = et_get_option( 'phone_number' ) ) ) : ?> <span id="et-info-phone"><?php echo et_core_esc_previously( et_sanitize_html_input_text( $et_phone_number ) ); ?></span> <?php endif; ?> <?php if ( '' !== ( $et_email = et_get_option( 'header_email' ) ) ) : ?> <a href="<?php echo esc_attr( 'mailto:' . $et_email ); ?>"><span id="et-info-email"><?php echo esc_html( $et_email ); ?></span></a> <?php endif; ?> <?php if ( true === $show_header_social_icons ) { get_template_part( 'includes/social_icons', 'header' ); } ?> </div> <!-- #et-info --> <?php endif; // true === $et_contact_info_defined ?> <div id="et-secondary-menu"> <?php if ( ! $et_contact_info_defined && true === $show_header_social_icons ) { get_template_part( 'includes/social_icons', 'header' ); } else if ( $et_contact_info_defined && true === $show_header_social_icons ) { ob_start(); get_template_part( 'includes/social_icons', 'header' ); $duplicate_social_icons = ob_get_contents(); ob_end_clean(); printf( '<div class="et_duplicate_social_icons"> %1$s </div>', et_core_esc_previously( $duplicate_social_icons ) ); } if ( '' !== $et_secondary_nav ) { echo et_core_esc_wp( $et_secondary_nav ); } et_show_cart_total(); ?> </div> <!-- #et-secondary-menu --> </div> <!-- .container --> </div> <!-- #top-header --> <?php $top_header = ob_get_clean(); /** * Filters the HTML output for the top header. * * @since 3.10 * * @param string $top_header */ echo et_core_intentionally_unescaped( apply_filters( 'et_html_top_header', $top_header ), 'html' ); ?> <?php endif; // true ==== $et_top_info_defined ?> <?php if ( $et_slide_header || is_customize_preview() ) : ?> <?php ob_start(); ?> <div class="et_slide_in_menu_container"> <?php if ( 'fullscreen' === et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) || is_customize_preview() ) { ?> <span class="mobile_menu_bar et_toggle_fullscreen_menu"></span> <?php } ?> <?php if ( $et_contact_info_defined || true === $show_header_social_icons || false !== et_get_option( 'show_search_icon', true ) || class_exists( 'woocommerce' ) || is_customize_preview() ) { ?> <div class="et_slide_menu_top"> <?php if ( 'fullscreen' === et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) ) { ?> <div class="et_pb_top_menu_inner"> <?php } ?> <?php } if ( true === $show_header_social_icons ) { get_template_part( 'includes/social_icons', 'header' ); } et_show_cart_total(); ?> <?php if ( false !== et_get_option( 'show_search_icon', true ) || is_customize_preview() ) : ?> <?php if ( 'fullscreen' !== et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) ) { ?> <div class="clear"></div> <?php } ?> <form role="search" method="get" class="et-search-form" action="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>"> <?php printf( '<input type="search" class="et-search-field" placeholder="%1$s" value="%2$s" name="s" title="%3$s" />', esc_attr__( 'Search &hellip;', 'Divi' ), get_search_query(), esc_attr__( 'Search for:', 'Divi' ) ); ?> <button type="submit" id="searchsubmit_header"></button> </form> <?php endif; // true === et_get_option( 'show_search_icon', false ) ?> <?php if ( $et_contact_info_defined ) : ?> <div id="et-info"> <?php if ( '' !== ( $et_phone_number = et_get_option( 'phone_number' ) ) ) : ?> <span id="et-info-phone"><?php echo et_core_esc_previously( et_sanitize_html_input_text( $et_phone_number ) ); ?></span> <?php endif; ?> <?php if ( '' !== ( $et_email = et_get_option( 'header_email' ) ) ) : ?> <a href="<?php echo esc_attr( 'mailto:' . $et_email ); ?>"><span id="et-info-email"><?php echo esc_html( $et_email ); ?></span></a> <?php endif; ?> </div> <!-- #et-info --> <?php endif; // true === $et_contact_info_defined ?> <?php if ( $et_contact_info_defined || true === $show_header_social_icons || false !== et_get_option( 'show_search_icon', true ) || class_exists( 'woocommerce' ) || is_customize_preview() ) { ?> <?php if ( 'fullscreen' === et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) ) { ?> </div> <!-- .et_pb_top_menu_inner --> <?php } ?> </div> <!-- .et_slide_menu_top --> <?php } ?> <div class="et_pb_fullscreen_nav_container"> <?php $slide_nav = ''; $slide_menu_class = 'et_mobile_menu'; $slide_nav = wp_nav_menu( array( 'theme_location' => 'primary-menu', 'container' => '', 'fallback_cb' => '', 'echo' => false, 'items_wrap' => '%3$s' ) ); $slide_nav .= wp_nav_menu( array( 'theme_location' => 'secondary-menu', 'container' => '', 'fallback_cb' => '', 'echo' => false, 'items_wrap' => '%3$s' ) ); ?> <ul id="mobile_menu_slide" class="<?php echo esc_attr( $slide_menu_class ); ?>"> <?php if ( '' === $slide_nav ) : ?> <?php if ( 'on' === et_get_option( 'divi_home_link' ) ) { ?> <li <?php if ( is_home() ) echo( 'class="current_page_item"' ); ?>><a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>"><?php esc_html_e( 'Home', 'Divi' ); ?></a></li> <?php }; ?> <?php show_page_menu( $slide_menu_class, false, false ); ?> <?php show_categories_menu( $slide_menu_class, false ); ?> <?php else : echo et_core_esc_wp( $slide_nav ) ; endif; ?> </ul> </div> </div> <?php $slide_header = ob_get_clean(); /** * Filters the HTML output for the slide header. * * @since 3.10 * * @param string $top_header */ echo et_core_intentionally_unescaped( apply_filters( 'et_html_slide_header', $slide_header ), 'html' ); ?> <?php endif; // true ==== $et_slide_header ?> <?php ob_start(); ?> <header id="main-header" data-height-onload="<?php echo esc_attr( et_get_option( 'menu_height', '66' ) ); ?>"> <div class="container clearfix et_menu_container"> <?php $logo = ( $user_logo = et_get_option( 'divi_logo' ) ) && ! empty( $user_logo ) ? $user_logo : $template_directory_uri . '/images/logo.png'; ob_start(); ?> <div class="logo_container"> <span class="logo_helper"></span> <a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>"> <object data="/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NSCDF_Logo_REVISE_APPROVED_HORIZONTAL2.svg" type="image/svg+xml" id="logo" data-height-percentage="<?php echo esc_attr( et_get_option( 'logo_height', '54' ) ); ?>"><!-- Your fall back here --><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NSCDF_Logo_REVISE_APPROVED_HORIZONTAL2.svg" /></object> <!--<img src="<?php echo esc_attr( $logo ); ?>" alt="<?php echo esc_attr( get_bloginfo( 'name' ) ); ?>" id="logo" data-height-percentage="<?php echo esc_attr( et_get_option( 'logo_height', '54' ) ); ?>" />--> </a> </div> <?php $logo_container = ob_get_clean(); /** * Filters the HTML output for the logo container. * * @since 3.10 * * @param string $logo_container */ echo et_core_intentionally_unescaped( apply_filters( 'et_html_logo_container', $logo_container ), 'html' ); ?> <div id="et-top-navigation" data-height="<?php echo esc_attr( et_get_option( 'menu_height', '66' ) ); ?>" data-fixed-height="<?php echo esc_attr( et_get_option( 'minimized_menu_height', '40' ) ); ?>"> <?php if ( ! $et_slide_header || is_customize_preview() ) : ?> <nav id="top-menu-nav"> <?php $menuClass = 'nav'; if ( 'on' === et_get_option( 'divi_disable_toptier' ) ) $menuClass .= ' et_disable_top_tier'; $primaryNav = ''; $primaryNav = wp_nav_menu( array( 'theme_location' => 'primary-menu', 'container' => '', 'fallback_cb' => '', 'menu_class' => $menuClass, 'menu_id' => 'top-menu', 'echo' => false ) ); if ( empty( $primaryNav ) ) : ?> <ul id="top-menu" class="<?php echo esc_attr( $menuClass ); ?>"> <?php if ( 'on' === et_get_option( 'divi_home_link' ) ) { ?> <li <?php if ( is_home() ) echo( 'class="current_page_item"' ); ?>><a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>"><?php esc_html_e( 'Home', 'Divi' ); ?></a></li> <?php }; ?> <?php show_page_menu( $menuClass, false, false ); ?> <?php show_categories_menu( $menuClass, false ); ?> </ul> <?php else : echo et_core_esc_wp( $primaryNav ); endif; ?> </nav> <?php endif; ?> <?php if ( ! $et_top_info_defined && ( ! $et_slide_header || is_customize_preview() ) ) { et_show_cart_total( array( 'no_text' => true, ) ); } ?> <?php if ( $et_slide_header || is_customize_preview() ) : ?> <span class="mobile_menu_bar et_pb_header_toggle et_toggle_<?php echo esc_attr( et_get_option( 'header_style', 'left' ) ); ?>_menu"></span> <?php endif; ?> <?php if ( ( false !== et_get_option( 'show_search_icon', true ) && ! $et_slide_header ) || is_customize_preview() ) : ?> <div id="et_top_search"> <span id="et_search_icon"></span> </div> <?php endif; // true === et_get_option( 'show_search_icon', false ) ?> <?php /** * Fires at the end of the 'et-top-navigation' element, just before its closing tag. * * @since 1.0 */ do_action( 'et_header_top' ); ?> </div> <!-- #et-top-navigation --> </div> <!-- .container --> <div class="et_search_outer"> <div class="container et_search_form_container"> <form role="search" method="get" class="et-search-form" action="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ); ?>"> <?php printf( '<input type="search" class="et-search-field" placeholder="%1$s" value="%2$s" name="s" title="%3$s" />', esc_attr__( 'Search &hellip;', 'Divi' ), get_search_query(), esc_attr__( 'Search for:', 'Divi' ) ); ?> </form> <span class="et_close_search_field"></span> </div> </div> </header> <!-- #main-header --> <?php $main_header = ob_get_clean(); /** * Filters the HTML output for the main header. * * @since 3.10 * * @param string $main_header */ echo et_core_intentionally_unescaped( apply_filters( 'et_html_main_header', $main_header ), 'html' ); ?> <div id="et-main-area"> <?php /** * Fires after the header, before the main content is output. * * @since 3.10 */ do_action( 'et_before_main_content' );

The 6-Question Business Plan: A Simple Guide for New Entrepreneurs

by | Mar 6, 2025 | Blog

Dreading the thought of writing a business plan? You’re not alone. Many new business owners put it off or skip it altogether because it seems overwhelming. But creating a solid plan doesn’t have to be complicated.

You can build an effective business plan by answering just six simple questions.

  1. WHAT are you selling?
    Describe your product or service clearly:
  • What exactly is it? What does it do?
  • What features does it have and how do these help customers?
  • How much will you charge?

Example: “I’m selling homemade cookies with unique flavors. Each cookie is large, uses high-quality ingredients, and costs $3 each or $15 for a half-dozen.”

  1. WHO are you selling to?
    Describe your target audience:
  • What kind of people will buy from you? (age, location, etc.)
  • What do they care about?
  • What problem do they have that you can help with?

Example: “I’m selling to college students who are health-conscious but busy. They want healthy meals but don’t have time to cook.”

  1. WHO else is selling this?
    Know your competition (like really know them!):
  • What other businesses offer something similar?
  • What do they do well and not so well?
  • What can you learn from them?

Example: “Three local bakeries sell cookies, but none offer delivery or my unique flavors. The grocery store sells cheaper cookies, but they’re not fresh.”

  1. WHY should people buy from you?
    Explain what makes your business special:
  • How is your product or service better or different?
  • What special skills do you have?
  • How will you treat your customers?

Example: “My meal prep service uses family recipes, sources ingredients locally, and customizes meals based on dietary needs. I’m also the only service in town using zero-waste packaging.”

  1. WHERE are you selling it?
    Explain how customers will get your product:
  • Will you have a physical store? Sell online?
  • Will other stores carry your product?
  • What areas will you serve?

Example: “I’ll sell my handmade jewelry through my website, at the weekend farmers market, and in three local boutiques. I’ll ship nationwide but offer free delivery in my city.”

  1. WHERE are you raising awareness?
    Describe how people will discover your business:
  • Which social media platforms will you use?
  • Will you use ads and/or hang flyers? Where?
  • How will you encourage customers to spread the word?

Example: “I’ll promote my tutoring service on Instagram with weekly study tips. I’ll put flyers in coffee shops and offer current students a free session when they refer a friend.”

How to Use This Framework

  1. Answer thoroughly: The more specific you are, the more useful your plan will be.
  2. Be honest: Acknowledge challenges so you can address them.
  3. Use AI help: Input your answers into an AI tool like ChatGPT to help organize your plan.
  4. Review and adjust: Make sure it accurately reflects your business vision.
  5. Keep it updated: Revisit your plan regularly as your business grows.

Next Steps

  • Share your plan with trusted advisors for feedback
  • Make a to-do list based on your plan
  • Set measurable goals
  • Create a simple financial projection

Remember: Progress Over Perfection
The most important thing is to start. Your business plan doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to exist. By answering these six fundamental questions, you’ll have a solid foundation that guides your business decisions.

Resources to Support Your Journey
Building a business plan and an actual business requires ongoing learning. These resources can help: