Think Like A Business

How important is it to operate like a business? A business has a proper business plan, marketing plan, finance plan, operation plan, product development plan. The IT Contracting business is different in that the contractor is the product and has their hands full just keeping abreast with rapid change and so making it sensible to outsource their "marketing division" to a preferred select few agents.. JUST as they would their taxation, superannuantion and other financials to a preferred accountant. Marketing is one thing and clearly Product Development is another. Next to marketing, finance closely follows Product Development YET.... how many contractors truly sit down and work with their marketing division to conduct a timely, periodic, 'level-headed' product review (where the contractor IS the product). To what extent is it important for the contractor to think like a business and to have a Product Development Plan where the contractor is the product.