basics

Putting

the

pieces

together:

The Trader Business-Plan

Many people, excited by the opportunities presented in the markets,
leap before they look. Some people find temporary success “winging
it” or learning as they go. However, more often than not, that approach
results in massive drawdowns, despondency and closed trading
accounts. Newcomers to the markets, and even those who have
already started trading (even successfully), may find themselves
reading this article and thinking “What does this chap mean by…?” or
“I never thought of that”. If that’s the case, you may very well benefit
from the time investment required to thoroughly learn your trade, study
all the tools available, and design a business plan before expanding
your activity in the markets. Here, Chris Terry offers an outline for
designing a business plan with the elements required for a successful
career trading.

58 July / August 2003

 www.traders-mag.com

ust as a carpenter needs his hammer, saw, and blueprints, 3. Associate with like-minded people

J it is important for the trader to be well equipped with the

proper tools. The trader must have a good charting
platform, data feed, books, and proper education.
However, the most important tool required for trading
success is a good, solid business plan.
Another important component of success is being part of an
association or a group of people striving for the same goals
in the same business. As a trader, one should do his best to
find others who have a common interest in technical analysis
and short-term trading. There may be groups in the local
There is a saying: “Without a plan to win, you automatically area that meet on a regular basis, but there are also many
plan to fail.” Compare trying to trade without a “goal” to a soccer chat rooms where traders can trade insights and inspire one
team playing without a goal or a net to put the ball in for a score. another.
They would run the field in circles aimlessly until they tired
out. Below we examine the basic concepts for how to develop a 4. Physical
business plan. This is an outline to inspire ideas. Traders should Exercise, not just to stay healthy physically, but also for a
use the ideas only to inspire and design their personal, custom healthy mind can greatly support you in creating success as
plan. a trader. Doing 30-45 minutes of exercise at least three times
a week will assist in keeping the juices flowing physically
Business Plan, Part I: Personal growth and mentally.
Maintaining a great attitude is vital for success, and negativity
is one of the greatest challenges a trader must overcome. Self Business Plan, Part II: Trading goals
doubt and lack of confidence are poisons – not just for traders,
but for anyone striving for success. One cannot expect to succeed Plan summary
long-term if their brain has recorded years of negativity with 1. Mission statement
relatively little positive input to defend against the negative 2. Goal setting
influences. A negative thinker will lack the confidence to take 3. Financial and time commitment
the required steps to achieve success. The first goal is to decrease 4. Record keeping
negative influences and build a positive attitude. 5. Trading plan methodologies
As a trader, it is vital to start diluting the negative influences 6. Drawdown rules and contingency plan
in life with positive input. Since the subconscious portion of the 7. Compensation
brain is more powerful than any computer invented, it cannot
erase any of the sights, sounds, and smells of life; they are 1. Mission statement
imprinted forever. Making an effort to becoming deaf to negati- What is your business objective? Here are some examples:
ve influences, and choosing not to read or listen to negative • To become one of the top traders in the world, I will: 1)
inputs, while also adding positive input, will start to dilute the invest time and money into books, seminars, and market
past negatives and create a mental state conducive to success. research
Achievers in any field strive for peak performance mentally,
physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Combating negativity
is the primary goal for achievers, and this is why the “Self Help”
section of any bookstore is one of the largest, with rows and T1) Recommended PMA books
rows of books. The game plan for personal growth is:
Books by Napoleon Hill:
Master Key to Riches
1. Read books on “Positive Mental Attitude” (PMA). See table
Keys to Success
1 for a list of recommended titles. Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
Think and Grow Rich
2. Positive self talk Keys to Positive Thinking
Start to think of yourself as a winner. Say to yourself: “I am
a winner. I am a success. I am constantly learning, I surround Books by Norman Vincent Peale:
myself with positive influences, and I am a great trader.” Power of Positive Thinking
For many, this may seem to be pure nonsense, but believe it You Can if You Think You Can
or not, it will help improve your trading results. It is a key Results of Positive Thinking
Enthusiasm Makes the Difference
element for creating positive results and preventing negativity
from sneaking into your thoughts and trading results.

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 days per week, and for others it could be 14 hours per
T2)Recommended titles for day, six days per week. For example:
Trading Analysis will be done on a daily basis. If it
technical analysis and trading is not done on any particular day, trade execution will
not occur. Analysis on weekly, daily and intra-day time
Technical Analysis and Stock Market Profits: The Real Bible of frames will be done 8-10:00 pm. If this is not
Technical Analysis (Traders’ Master Class), Richard Shabacker permissible for any reason, it will be done the following
morning at 6:45 am. An analysis of actual trades
Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets, John Murphy
executed will be a part of my end-of-week analysis.
Technical Analysis of Stock Trends, Robert Edwards /John Magee This will help to duplicate positive outcomes and
The Psychology of Technical Analysis, Tony Plummer eliminate poorly executed trades. Analysis of a monthly
chart will be done on a bi-weekly basis. Both the end-
Forecasting Financial Markets, Tony Plummer of-week and monthly analysis will take place anytime
Profits in the Stock Market with Charts, H.M. Gartley between Friday and Sunday evenings.

4. Record keeping
2) associate with top traders in my field It is important to keep a record of all business transactions.
3) always expand my mind with new ideas. Keep a separate filing cabinet just for your trading business,
• To develop as a solid, steady trader with a well-defined and check daily trade summaries each night for possible errors.
trading program, I will: Stay on top of the paper work as it is created or this will get
1) focus on the price action of the current market conditions away from you quickly. Expense reports, bank deposits and
for short-term trading; withdrawals, and credit card expenses should all be maintained
2) work to become a 70%+ win-ratio trader and up-to-date.
3) helping fellow traders improve their ratios. For example:
• In the long-term, I will manage money for clients, become All trades will be logged and all statements reconciled every
one of the top teachers in trading and technical analysis, and day, and any problems will be rectified immediately. I am
write a book on the subject. currently keeping a sheet on each trade, noting trade rationale
and time frame, profit objectives, and stop-loss parameters, plus
2a. Trade goal setting a trade review noting adherence to the preceding and all other
How many trades will you average per day? What is your trading rules. I also keep a daily sheet noting daily P&L and
maximum? How many points do you want to strive for per open positions. Closed profit and loss will also be tracked on a
trade? weekly and monthly basis.

2b. Personal growth goal 5. Trading plan methodologies

Your personal growth should be to maintain a solid mental A trader must clearly define the entry method and be prepared
and emotional foundation and constantly improve knowledge to respond to all types of market conditions. How to exit the
and skill. The goals could also include both trading and non- trade, both with a gain or a loss, must be predetermined and
trading related books to read. Table 2 is a list of recommended clearly defined. The following examples will give an idea for
titles on technical analysis and trading. how detailed and specific the plan should be, and you should
develop your own plan.
3a. Financial commitment
Determine the financial commitment you will make to your Entry plan for trending environment:
business which includes account start-up capital, data feeds, • Markets to retrace 38-50% off its highs
accounting and attorney fees, telephone/fax services, computer • A support at its 20-period exponential moving average
equipment, seminars, etc. For example: • A bull-flag formation
I will fund my short-term trading account with a minimum • On a smaller timeframe, look for a ABC corrective wave to
of $100,000 and will use a maximum 4-1 margin. My financial confirm bull flag pattern
commitment to my swing trading account will also be $100,000. • Test of the lower trend-line of the bull-flag pattern
I commit up to $3,000 each to attend two training seminars per • Stochastic to have reached oversold condition of 20 or lower
year, $50 per month for trading books, and $300 per month for • Once the market confirms all this criteria, place a buy order
my data and charting software. at the market
• Exit at the pivot low below its 20 EMA as risk point, typically
3b. Time commitment no more than x points of risk on any one trade. Exits will be
This is the amount of time you invest in your trading business as follows: when profitability is more than x points, seek to
each day, which for some traders might be just a few hours, five take off 50% of my position immediately and move the stop

60 July / August 2003

 up to the break-even point. Short sells are simply a reverse
of the above. T3) Examples of exit parameters
Entry plan for breakout trades:
• Use the first few hours’ range for a breakout trade 1. Exit at a retest of intraday high/low or swing high/low
• Pre-publications and criteria will be for a narrow range 2. Exit at fixed profit objective in dollars
market that has been consolidating for at least five trading 3. Exit at an objective chart point
days 4. Exit at a time interval (i.e. four days)
5. Exit at a combination profit time: i.e. first profitable
• Let the market breakout of its first hour’s range and look
open or second profitable close
to buy a bull flag on a one-minute chart 6. Don’t exit but just reverse
• Should the market trade back and test support of a high of 7. Exit on a range expansion
first hour range this would be a good time to buy 8. Trail a stop off the low
• The exit will be just under the support of the first hour 9. Trail a stop off the high
range. Shorts are reversed. Profits will be taken for more 10. Exit on close
than x points on 50% of position, and move stops up to 11. Exit if the day’s close is less than a certain percent of
breakeven. Look for continuation patterns for pivots to the daily range in the direction you are trading
adjust stops and seek to exit into recent resistances or
higher timeframes’ EMAs.
7. Compensation
Every plan must include the exit parameters for all market Finally, what will your business need to pay you per month
conditions, and how to respond when the market moves for or to cover your personal expenses? This is a business and, with
against the positions. Table 3 shows a list of several exit strategies time, should be able to afford to pay you an income just as you
and parameters. would receive working for any company.
The possibilities for trading plan designs are limitless and
6. Drawdown rules extremely flexible – having a plan is the only strict requirement.
If you are experiencing a serious string of losses, called a The material presented here is an example only and can be used
drawdown, there is something wrong. Continuing to trade in as a foundation to start building upon.
the same manner without any preset rules for to respond to a Finally, attempt to find one method that works on any
drawdown can result in a zero-balance account. However, having timeframe and that fits your character and risk tolerance. Then
predefined rules will allow you to respond to a drawdown in a commence your work and strive for excellence with these
calm manner, and will give you the opportunity to return to methods in one market environment. After you have achieved
effective trading. Below are examples of drawdown rules: that, then you can take your success and stretch it across all
market environments and conditions.
• If three trades in a row are losers, trading for that day will
come to a halt and no further trades will be made. The rest of
the day will be occupied by either taking a break from trading
and resolving any issues that may be hindering my thought
process, or by analysing the market and why those trades
lost.
• Stop trading immediately if the account balance exceeds a Christopher Terry
50% drawdown of base capital.Traders should have a
contingency plan. What is your plan in the event you take a
Christopher Terry is a full-time
severe loss or drawdown? What could go wrong with your
business plan that would put you in this situation? For stock and index futures trader.
example: He lectures at a number of
derivative conferences and writes
• Not executing trades when signals occur
• Executing trades when there is no entry signal for industry magazines. Chris,
• Not having an exit plan for a win or loss scenario along with his partner, New
• Allowing losses to exceed predetermined amounts
Market Wizard Linda Bradford
My contingency plan should any of those possibilities occur Raschke, educates traders on
is: take one week off from the markets to reevaluate my trading, both equities and futures markets
current market conditions, my risk management, and my men-
at www.lbrgroup.com.
tal and emotional stability. If a vacation is necessary, take one.

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