Business Plan – Why and How?
A business plan is a document that outlines the operational and financial objectives of a business and details the strategies and actions that will be taken to achieve those goals. It typically includes information on the products or services offered, the target market, competition, financial projections, and management and organizational structure.
A business plan is often used to secure funding from investors or to guide the decision-making of the company’s leadership team. It is also used to communicate the company’s vision and goals to employees, partners, and other stakeholders. It works by providing a clear and detailed roadmap for a business to follow to achieve its goals.
Why – Advantage of business plan
There are several advantages to creating a business plan, including:
- Clarity of vision: Developing a business plan helps to clarify the goals and objectives of a business and provides a clear roadmap for achieving them.
- Secure funding: A well-written business plan can be used to secure funding from investors or lenders. It provides a clear picture of the business and its potential for success, which can help to attract funding.
- Improved decision-making: A business plan provides a comprehensive view of the business, which can help leaders make informed decisions about the company’s future.
- Better communication: A business plan can be used to communicate the company’s vision and goals to employees, partners, and other stakeholders. This can help to align everyone’s efforts and improve overall performance.
- Identifying potential risks: By creating a business plan, you can identify potential risks and challenges that the business might face and develop strategies to mitigate them.
- Bench-marking Progress: A business plan can be used as a benchmark to track progress and measure the success of the business over time.
- Attracting Talents: A good business plan can help attract talented employees, who are interested in working for a company with a clear vision and a solid plan for growth.
How – Writing a business plan or strategy
Writing a business strategy may look difficult but using a template and following a methodical and logical approach helps organizing the thought process and information available in a meaningful way that lets the writer and others know what they are looking for.
It can be divided into the following sections.
Overview: Include a concise overview of the complete business plan, the goal statement of the organization, a list of its products or services, a description of its target market, and projected financial results.
Company: State the company’s history, ownership structure, and management team.
Industry Analysis: Identify details of the industry the business belongs to, including market size, trends, and significant rivals.
Market Analysis: Provide information on the size, demographics, and purchasing patterns of the target market for your offered goods and services.
Sales and Marketing: Outline your sales and marketing strategies, as well as how you intend to reach your target market and set the pricing for your goods or services.
Operations: Provide information on how the operations such as production, logistics, and other important business processes as well as the day-to-day operations of the company will take place and will be looked after
Financial Projections: This section should include your business’s expected sales, expenses, income data and balance sheets, and cash flow statements for next 3-5 years.
Appendices: This an additional section that is used to provide any additional details or files that help to support the business plan, such as detailed product specifications, market research data, or the resumes of significant team members.
Important notes:
- If a template of business plan from another company is used, it is important to customize the same to the unique requirements of your company and target audience.
- While working on a business plan it is normal to go back and forth and update various sections based on inputs provided in others section to keep them all aligned.
- It is very important to review the business plan with relevant stake holders (key resources who have an interest in starting and operating the business) few times before finalizing the same.
- It’s important to note that a business plan is not a static document, it should be reviewed and updated regularly, as the business environment changes, the business plan should be adapted accordingly.
Even if you don’t have a big company and are just a sole proprietor, writing a business plan can still help you in a big way. By putting your ideas and plans on paper helps you remaining focused on your business goals.
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Babar Saeed
February 17, 2023
The writer is a professional marketer and engineer with good work exposure to governments, and businesses and industries in the private sector in several countries. Idea is to take the first step in adding value to anything that one gets exposed to instead of just complaining about the same.