How to Promote the Business Planning Process

Developing a business plan can be a daunting task. This is true when developing a plan for a small business or a larger international corporation. However, there are several ways to promote the process of engaging in the business planning task that will help keep the effort on track and increase the chances for productive results.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Internet Connection
• Meeting Place

1. Gather your resources. Today, there are online ebooks, outlines, escalation lists, and all sorts of documents that can help in putting together a business plan. Many of these resources are provided free of charge, such as at government-sponsored web sites. With resources geared toward all sorts of different types of businesses, a simple keyword search using a popular browser is likely to provide plenty of resources to choose from. Print the documents or save copies to your hard drive.
2. Read the resources. Having the electronic or hard copy documents will accomplish nothing unless the data contained in the resources is assimilated. There is a good chance that there will be at, least, one or two resources that will be new to you and helpful.
3. Learn about applicable local laws that could impact the business operation. Depending on the projected direction of the company, some laws that were not necessarily applicable in the past may be in the future. Check on the status of current business law within the jurisdiction of operation, so no element of the final business plan will be a source of conflict.
4. Assemble a team to engage in drafting the business plan. Nothing motivates people like being involved in shaping the future operation and goals of the company. Gather team members from every department or division of the company and actively encourage them to put ideas on the table, no matter how outlandish they may seem. Make sure the team meets on a regular schedule, to aid in continuity of attention to the task.
5. Call in outside resources. Have professionals evaluate your process for formulating a business plan and make suggestions on how you can enhance the process. Often, these professionals will be able to identify elements that are easily overlooked by persons who are part of the company culture, and may inspire some new ideas at the same time.
6. Complete the final draft and pass it around. People who can visualize their contribution to the final business plan will be more likely to own the plan and, thus, help to promote the process of carrying out the business plan.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be on the lookout for more resources to help with the task. You never know where a good idea will come from.
• Do not assign the task to one person and expect him or her to come up with a workable plan that will address the needs of the company as a whole. The more input, the easier it will be for workable plan that is relevant for several years to emerge.