When my mom and dad decided to open their own ice cream parlor in our town, many people thought that they were crazy. My parents did not let that get to them in the least. They did finally open their own business and it is going really well for them. Even their biggest critics are regular customers of theirs now. My parents are always coming up with new and exciting ways to attract customers. All of these ideas are part of their long-term retail business plan. They wrote it before they ever opened the doors and it has proved to be a successful tool for them.