How to Put a Business Plan in Motion

Your plan should be broken into tasks.

So you have a business plan. Now what? A good business plan will have defined the market for the business and described steps for the company to address the needs of the market at a profit. It should contain a lot of research that supports the viability of the business. To put a business plan into action, the plan needs to be stripped down to an essential and specific plan of action: an action plan.

Instructions

1. 

   Your plan should be clear and actionable.

   Go through your business plan and take out everything that is not a specific "to-do" item. What remains is your action plan. It is not for investors or anyone else but you and your company. You should be able to hand the document to someone and have him tell you what the first step is.

2. 

   Your plan should be time-specific.

   Add a time frame to all action items. Tasks to be done today, this week, this month, and this year should be clearly stated. Someone who reads the plan a year from now should be able to ask you if you completed a certain task on time.

3. 

   Each member of your team should know what is expected of him.

   Add a person responsible for each action item. Make sure your team members are on the same page. The action plan should be detailed enough so that it will be clear to anyone with the document whether a task has been completed or not. Everyone involved should know what is expected of her.

4. 

   Launch the plan: do the first task.

   Do it. Your business plan has now been transformed into a specific plan of action. Do the tasks designated for today. Your business plan is now in motion.

Tips & Warnings

• Continually update the action plan as tasks are completed or revised and new ones are added. Check off completed tasks as they are done.

• Be flexible! Your action plan is more flexible than your business plan, and plans always change in a dynamic and competitive business environment.

References

• Cornell University: Execution - Moving a Business Plan From Idea to Reality

Resources

• Small Business Administration: Write a Business Plan