Do artists need business plans? Only if they want to succeed

"Impossible." / "Can't be done." / "It won't work." These are the responses I got when I told supposedly creative people I was researching business plans for artists.

"There's no way to predict," said a well-paid Hollywood screenwriter. "You just get used to telling bill collectors you'll pay them when you get paid."

I figured there had to be a better way.