The Business & The Plan

Writing a business plan can be a daunting task. Who am I kidding? It is a daunting task! It’s a challenge but it is essential to the start of any business. What I’ve learned and I’m still learning is the business plan is primarily a model or template of what you expect your business to be. Will the business be exactly as you’ve predicted in the actual business plan? No! Don’t misunderstand me though. You do want growth as indicated; however, the methods chosen to get there may not be as you’ve planned. The entities involved in the development of an actual business; you or any partners and the actual business, are organic. So, expect things to change.

When a true entrepreneur is involved in business planning, it is good for him or her to create a business plan to organize and document the desired structure of the business. Carl Schramm does not think the business owner has to follow the completed business plan step-by-step. To him the business plan become obsolete after some time has passed. I must say I somewhat agree with him. Business plans are great for recording your thoughts, ideas and intended plans about the business. Be realistic in planning but do not limit yourself to the information provided in the plan itself.

Relax, be yourself

Schramm’s ideas about the entrepreneur encourage us to be ourselves. Continue to think outside the box. Learn from present and past experiences, jobs, personal and professional relationships in order to establish and build an efficient knowledge base. Where I differ from Schramm is that I believe the business plan should be updated periodically. Your business will change there is no doubt about that. However, your ideas and intentions for the business are likely to change or at least adapt to circumstances. There are circumstances and situations, which will be inevitable.

Following a business plan to the tee and not straying from it at all is in my opinion, following the norm. Entrepreneurs use common sense but they do not follow the status quo. That’s one of the reasons why they are in business in the first place. Again, business plans are important but do not live by your business plan only. You are asking for all kinds of disappointment.

What’s important in the plan?

The most important section of the business plan is the financial statement/forecast. Investors want to know how you intend to make money. These intentions will be instrumental in securing additional funding for the start or expansion of your business. What I found interesting is that Schramm measures the person, not the business plan to determine whether or not to invest in a business. This is something to consider when planning for the financial future of your business.

Allergies cause hemorrhages

One of the scariest things for the vocalist is for him to loose his voice. It’s even worse when he finds out it’s due to a hemorrhage. A hemorrhage is known for its association with phonotrauma. To the vocalist this is usually from faulty singing, excessive vocal stress, or not caring for the voice in general. Singers who end up with it, a lot of times, receive weird looks or looks of horror from other musicians, especially other vocalists. This is because they know (even if only by word of mouth) how devastating a hemorrhage is and can be to any singer’s career.

A vocal hemorrhage is bleeding that occurs when the vocal folds experience some type trauma; hence phonotrauma. The superficial layer of the lamina propria (aka vocal fold lamina propria) is the elastic section of the vocal folds. Microscopic protein pillars separate layer upon layer of elastic pliable tissue. The section between the layers is called interfibrillar spaces and is normally filled with fluid (which is why water is so important). It is also where the most vibration and flexibility occurs in the folds. 

If the folds cannot successfully connect and bend (in that order), then the voice is not fully operative. When a vocal hemorrhage forms, a section of the interfibrillar space is filled with blood. Hemorrhages are normally painless, occur without indication and are in most cases tasteless. I say tasteless because the bleeding occurs below the top layer of tissue (mucosa). In some instances blood seeps out of the folds. However, this would indicate that additional damage to the folds has occurred.

Photo from www.voicemedicine.com

My Experience

Earlier this year, I had the privilege to work with 175 pre-school kids (per week) in the Polk County School System. Grants from local civic organizations (Rotary Club and Kiwanis) and also the help of the Tryon Fine Arts Center made this possible. It was such an honor to impart the joy of music to that many children at once. However, I quickly found out it does come with a price.

My immune system was put to the test as a result of being around so many children in such a short amount of time. Let’s be honest, children are natural hoarders for germs. Add lots of hugs, high fives, back rides, kisses, leg grabs, runny noses and uninhibited coughs to the mix and you have now become the new drop off point for Grand Germs Central. As a result, I ended up with some new virus that travels around the body. To my surprise, it seemed to stay near my laryngopharynx, oropharynx and nasopharynx, three essential areas for the vocalist. You can say these are do-not-touch areas.

So, I had this virus that checked in for an extended stay around my pharyngeal cavities and then the notorious seasonal allergies kicked in. Not only did I end up with laryngitis from the virus but also I completely lost my voice due to upper respiratory infection. Oh and let’s not forget continuous coughing, sneezing, wheezing, etc from seasonal allergies. This recipe caused the hemorrhage. All of this occurred within 3 weeks before a major production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Mikado.” I didn’t receive confirmation of the hemorrhage until after Mikado and right before my Alumni recital performance three weeks later.

What did I learn?

After numerous doctor visits, voiceless rehearsals and run-throughs and of course lots of medication, I was able to sing in the restored range of voice (primarily chest and some head). Hemorrhages are not just caused from faulty singing, which is what they are normally associated with. In my experience, severe allergies can lead to them as well.

If you suffer from allergies, it is extremely important to see your doctor often. Stay sensitive to how your voice feels. If something feels off, do something about it. It will save you a world of heart ache later on.