How My Business Plan Workbook Transformed My Vision & Uncovered Challenges I Never Expected

Jane Arnold
Mar 11
5 min read

Creating a business plan isn’t just about having a document to present to investors or partners—it’s about getting real clarity on where your business is headed, how it operates, and how you plan to grow.

When I first sat down to write my business plan, I thought I had everything figured out. I had a vision, I knew what I wanted to offer, and I was ready to build. But as I started answering the questions in my Business Plan Workbook, I realized there were so many things I hadn’t considered—challenges I hadn’t foreseen, strategies I hadn’t structured, and gaps in my brand positioning.

That’s when I discovered the power of structured reflection and AI-assisted planning. Here’s how the CúanAngel Business Plan Workbook became the essential tool that helped me align my business, identify challenges, and create a plan I’m truly proud of.

The Power of Answering the Right Questions

Most of us have ideas floating in our heads about what we want our business to be. But turning those ideas into a structured, actionable plan? That’s the hard part.

When I started using my Business Plan Workbook, it forced me to think deeper than I ever had about my business:

Who is my ideal customer—REALLY? (Not just demographics, but their pain points, their motivations, and how my product serves them better than anything else.)

What makes my business TRULY unique? (It’s easy to say, “I offer digital templates,” but what’s my core differentiation? How do I stand out?)

What’s my long-term strategy? (What will my business look like in a year? Five years? What will I need to scale?)

These workbook questions helped me uncover blind spots in my plan that I never would have seen otherwise!

How AI-Powered Prompts Challenged Me to Think Bigger

Once I answered my initial workbook questions, I took it one step further—I used AI-powered ChatGPT prompts to refine my answers, making them stronger, clearer, and more strategic.

Here’s How AI Transformed My Business Plan:

Refining My Business Mission Statement

I thought I had a solid mission statement—until I asked ChatGPT for feedback.

Prompt I Used:

Here’s my business mission after answering the questions in my Workbook questions and adding this to the prompt:

"Can you please create a mission statement for my business? At Cúan Aingeal, our mission is to empower entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creatives by providing professional, easy-to-use branding tools that simplify design and strategy. We bridge the gap for businesses that want to scale and market effectively but lack the design and branding expertise to do so.

We exist beyond profit—to elevate businesses by making branding accessible, intuitive, and impactful. Our Canva templates, AI-powered content workbooks, and personalised support enable business owners to confidently create a professional presence, market effectively, and build a brand that truly reflects their identity and values. By removing the steep learning curve of branding and marketing, we help businesses simplify design, take control of their brand, and succeed with confidence.. Can you refine this into a compelling, professional statement that aligns with my brand values?"

Not bad eh!?

Business Plan Workbook Questions create the prompt, the prompt becomes the business alignment and placed into your business plan template

What I Got: A mission statement that was more polished, customer-focused, and inspiring -

"At CúanAngel, our purpose is to empower entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creatives with the tools they need to establish a strong, professional brand—without the need for design expertise. My business exists beyond building a profit as success means building a trusted brand that our customers believe in and rely on—helping them elevate their business, simplify their branding, and market effectively with confidence.

In our business I would like to bridge the gap between business people who try to scale and market their business but do not have the skills to success. These people are experts in their own field but there is a huge learning curve for these businesses to market their business themselves - we would like to help them elevate their business, simplify their branding, and market effectively with confidence."

Strengthening My Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

I knew my brand was different, but could I articulate exactly why in a way that made customers WANT my products?

Prompt I Used:

"Can you please create a vision statement for my business?

My business 5, 10 or 20 years from now,I would like Cúan Angel to be established with a Trusted Brand & Community to Cultivate a loyal customer base that values Cúan Angel’s templates and guides as essential tools for business growth. Position Cúan Angel as the go-to resource for simplified branding and marketing strategy. Potential create branding courses"

Result: AI helped me craft a powerful, concise USP that clearly communicated my brand’s value.

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Predicting Business Challenges & Solutions

This was a game-changer. I thought I had anticipated all potential challenges—but ChatGPT challenged me to consider risks I hadn’t even thought of.

Prompt I Used: (Using answers from my workbook questions)

"Can you please create a Risk Analysis?

Our biggest threats include [Add part 1 of your answer from ‘1. What are the biggest threats or challenges to your business?’]. To mitigate financial risks we plan to [Add part 2 of your answer from ‘2. How do you plan to mitigate financial risks?’]. The external factors which can impact our business are [Add part 3 of your answer from ‘3. Are there any external factors (economic downturns, industry disruptions, regulations) that could impact your business?’]. Our Crisis management or contingency plan [Add part 4 of your answer from 4. Do you have a crisis management or contingency plan in place?]"

AI’s Response:

CúanAngel's risk analysis identifies financial, operational, market, and external threats that could impact growth. However, by implementing proactive risk mitigation strategies, the business can remain adaptable and scalable.

Now, I wasn’t just making a business plan—I was creating a strategy to future-proof my success.

Why the Business Plan Workbook Was Essential to My Success

By the time I finished answering the workbook questions, refining my responses with AI prompts, and structuring everything into a cohesive plan, I had created something I was truly proud of.

I didn’t just have a document—I had a clear roadmap.

I wasn’t just planning—I was preparing for challenges ahead.

I wasn’t just writing—I was refining and improving every aspect of my business.