You've got a fantastic idea for a business

Suddenly you realise your stash of ideas and research has somehow morphed into a tangled mental bundle of fairy lights. We all know that pain, or similar, right? That special occasion you want to present and launch with a touch of glam? You get out the fairy lights you stowed away after last use and look at them in despair.

How on earth do you unravel them? Where's the end? Where do you start? 

You rotate the intricate tangle, looking at it from different angles. You peer into the midst of it. You hold it up and gingerly shake it in the hope that an end of the string will become visible. Then you (either silently or in your head) berate yourself for not taking the time to store them more neatly.

At some point, preferably sooner rather than later, you'll realise self-berating isn't solving the problem.

So, what do you do?

• Give up on them, cram them unceremoniously back in the box and decide to order a brand-new set? You've had them a while anyway, they're probably not fit for purpose anymore.
• Persevere with finding a way to get to the end with the plug? Maybe you can untangle just about enough to light up a long enough stretch for your immediate need. You can always hide the remaining tangle out of sight, right? Surely no one will look behind the scenes.
• Take a deep, calming breath? Perhaps make a nice cuppa, put on your favourite music or podcast then settle down to the task of unpicking the tangle properly. Or maybe ask someone who's a dab hand at that kind of thing to help you or offer moral support while you do it? It might not seem so overwhelming.

Thinking of your business vision or plan as a tangled fairy lights scenario:

What do you do?

• Give up on your idea and decide to think of a new one before you've even given it a go?

The costs/benefits of doing that would need to be weighed up.

Consider all the research you've done, the time you've spent and maybe money you've already invested (irrespective of amount).

Would it be beneficial or detrimental to start afresh?

• Find a way to cut corners so that you can at least have something tangible to show for your efforts so far?

That might be ok in some instances just to get off the blocks, especially for those of us with perfectionist and procrastinator traits (another post coming up on that at some point).

However, what happens if you've not unpicked enough to get to the legal and financial bits?

How would you feel if your shortcuts really scuppered you further along the line in your business venture?

• Decide to unpick and straighten your ideas and vision into some kind of order?

Maybe all you need is focus and time to be able to do it by yourself.

Perhaps it might help to call on someone who can offer moral support and practical guidance.

A fresh perspective and collaboration could make it all seem less daunting and overwhelming.

Is your business vision and plan stashed in various lockers of ideas?

Yes, there may be some tangles just as you thought you were ready to switch it all on. That's often the case when starting and running a business.

How much time, effort and attention will you put into straightening it all out?

New or established, which areas of your business would benefit from you viewing it like a set of fairy lights?

• Your business vision and plan developed into a strategy for implementation?
• Written text that needs proofreading or transcribing for clearer presentation?
• Collating and ordering meeting or workshop notes to combine points and themes for action?
• Sorting out your email inbox or diary schedule?