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Patrick Asselin, co-founder of Brothers Beer Bistro, explains how a business strategy helped make his dream of running a restaurant come true

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Opening a restaurant in Ottawa's ByWard Market had always been a dream for Patrick Asselin, co-founder of Brothers Beer BistroPatrick Doyle

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But he didn't want to do it without a detailed plan, he says in Bryan Borzykowski's article entitled 'How to crank up your business strategy'Patrick Doyle

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Mr. Asselin's business strategy document is 27 pages, and includes everything from sample menus, to decor to research on locationsPatrick Doyle

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"Without a business strategy you're flying blind," he saysPatrick Doyle

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He knew that if he didn’t put something together, the business would have failedPatrick Doyle

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A plan helps keep you on track. Without it, "you wouldn't know if you were hitting your budget targets," he saysPatrick Doyle

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A plan is more than just number-crunching. Mr. Asselin says he had to come up with a detailed concept, understand the competition and get a good grasp of the marketPatrick Doyle

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It also documents the people overseeing your project and involved in the company, including architects, lawyers, engineers and employees. "If you hire properly, you've got little to no headaches," he saysPatrick Doyle

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His best advice? "Have a good concept, fine tune it as much as you can and don't rush into it"Patrick Doyle

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