Self-Made Boss: Advice, Hacks, and Lessons from Small Business Owners

CHAPTER 2

Creating a Business Plan

Michael Lassner is a man with a plan—in fact, he’s a man with many plans. That’s because, when he started Allied Steel Buildings, he paid the price for not having one.

In the early days, Michael and his business partner ran their company out of an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They were so busy doing the work in front of them that they didn’t make time to think about what came next.

Over the years, however, it became clear that the pair had different visions for their future. Michael’s partner wanted to stay smaller and closer to home, working on simpler projects. Michael wanted to make the business ...