Why do you need to write a business plan?
If you run a business, you will have no doubt heard a lot of talk about business plans.
Perhaps you’ve been told, “you need to have a business plan”. Perhaps you’ve heard it said, “all successful businesses have a business plan.” Or maybe, “if you want to get an investor, you have to have a business plan.”
So there’s a general sense that a business plan, whatever it is, is a good thing to have. But to many people, the term itself is snippet of corporate jargon. It’s not an unreasonable question to ask what exactly one is. What is a business plan anyway?
It’s a written document which sets out the plan for your business for a set period of time. It outlines what your business goals are and explains how you’re going to achieve them. But writing a business plan is different to undertaking business planning. You should always be planning and strategizing for your business, but that doesn’t mean you have to write it all down.
There should be a good reason to go through your business bit by bit and collate it in one document. Not least of all because it’s going take a lot of time and resources. The crucial thing about a business plan is that it is written with a purpose in mind. The usual purpose of a plan is to achieve something. So the next obvious question is…
What the purpose of a business plan?
There are two primary purposes for a business plan, depending on who the audience is.
For internal audiences (business owners and staff, for example), it’s a guide to the actions you’ll take in order to grow your business.
For external audiences (investors, banks, funding bodies and so on), it’s a way to communicate the plans you have for your business.
Typically it’s this second one which is the most important and the one that often gets forgotten. A formal business plan is a communications tool. So what are you communicating and to whom?
Who is the audience?
This is a question which can never be asked enough when writing a business plan. If your business plan is for your own use, then it’s primary purpose is to guide your activities. It can therefore take any form which best suits this purpose. It need not be a long detailed document, if what you need to keep you on track is short and punchy. It may not be a formal written document at all. It might be a poster or a slide deck or an infographic. If it’s designed to help you, then make it yours, in design and format.
Our tip for internal use business plans: Keep it short, keep it visible, and update it regularly.
If your business plan is for sharing with others (such as investors, funding bodies, credit providers and so on), then it’s primary purpose is communicate your vision and plans for the company. In this case, a comprehensive written document is often best, because it communicates all manner of things which are relevant to your business; things that you know well, but that others coming fresh to your business need to understand.
Your plan’s audience and purpose can get very specific. For example, it may be directed at one handpicked investor to convince her to contribute $500,000 to your business. Or it may be less focused. For example, it might be to give an initial overview of your company to a range of potential funders who might provide varying amounts of financial support. There are myriad variations, all of which are fine if you remember what you’re trying to say and to whom.
Consider these questions …
Do you need a formal written business plan? Or will your own planning suffice?
What’s your plan for? What’s its purpose? What’s the outcome you want?
Who is your intended audience?
Why is a business plan the best way to communicate your message?
Only when you’re clear on these things, only then should you start to write a plan.
Alternatives to writing a business plan
Planning for your business is essential. Writing a business plan? Maybe not. If you are after a planning process for your own internal purposes, you might find another method might suit you better.
Regular planning sessions with senior staff.
Occasional planning retreats to plot out the coming year.
Ongoing coaching with a business advisor or a mentor.
Drawing up a one page action plan every quarter.
Whichever you choose, the starting point is to articulate your business goals. Ask yourself what you really want out of this enterprise and what the best way is to achieve it.
If you’ve got issues in your business you don’t seem to be able to get on top of, why not get in touch? Not only do we provide a full suite of bookkeeping and tax services here at Generate, but we’re also able to help with a wide range of strategic issues which commonly (and uncommonly) face business owners.