How to Create and Implement a Business Plan
How to create and implement a business plan
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1. Write an outline for your business plan. Start with broad sections, such as a company mission statement, product or service description, customer profile, competitor analysis, marketing, financial, staffing and legal concerns. Create sub-headings. For example, under marketing, you will include branding, advertising, public relations and promotions. Under advertising, you can list print, broadcast, outdoor, direct mail, social media and other forms of online marketing and any other appropriate methods. Under financial, include startup funding, cash-flow projections and the details of your budget.
2. Research each section to find expert advice on each. Include information such as how you will conduct market research or develop customer demographics. When creating your market research section, discuss what information you will need, what questions you will ask, how you will ask those questions or administer surveys and what your costs are likely to be.
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3. Meet with an accountant to review your income and expense numbers, budget, record keeping and taxes. Meet with an attorney to make sure you address all permits and licenses you will need, and any health, safety or labour laws you will need to follow.
4. Create a dynamic business plan by providing several scenarios. For example, start with the current costs of goods you will need to buy to make your product or service, then add one or two more budgets based on those prices going up. For example, a restaurant might experience an increase in produce if there’s a drought or freeze, or labor, if the worker pool is seasonal, aging or leaving the area. A business plan is not static and should be a work-in-progress.
5. Write an executive summary of the plan and place it at the beginning of the document. This will give potential investors and lenders an overview of the business plan and the results you expect. The executive summary should not contain any support for your statements — save that for the body of the plan.
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6. Implement the plan by starting at the beginning and executing the various steps you’ve addressed in the plan. For example, you might need to incorporate your company, trademark your name, secure business licenses and permits, open a bank account, get a post office box and perform many other tasks that get you ready to open your doors. This will include more complicated actions, such as shopping for vendors, hiring staff, developing marketing materials and creating promotions.
7. Review your business plan on a regular basis. Compare budgeted numbers to actual figures of doing business. Determine whether you can keep operating as you are, of if you need to make changes, such as reducing costs, raising prices or increasing marketing activities.
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