You Better Take Care of Business, Mr. Businessman

"What's your plan?"

Er, yes. Now that we've all finished humming the chorus of Ray Stevens' 1968 hit—don't thank me; it's included in the price—what am I on about?

Your intrepid singer/songwriter is currently enrolled in a small business program, trying to turn his passion into a viable business. This requires a shift for a capital-a artist like me. It's a bit weird wearing the businessman's hat, but I've just tie-dyed it and already the fit is more comfy. All kidding aside, putting my music through the lens of assets, start-up costs and marketing plans has opened up new perspectives. My activities are rather small-scale—initial sales forecasts are in the tens of dollars—but it's been instructive finding out how (and how much coin it will take) to get things going. And I've learned that crafting a solid business plan is not only the key to viability but also a means of enticing lenders.

Uh, Ray, can I get back to you in a week? What's that? No, I'm not doing a hip-hop version of "The Streak." Huh? Don't care how bad you need the publishing. Bye.