Hewlko News - The business plan
How to write a business plan: read, research and get help.
Read: Every year, I dedicate time to review and update my business plan. What I have read throughout the year affects the plan. Last year, I read the book Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and added an aspirational piece that helped me dream big. Referred to as the “Painted Picture” in the book, it is a deep dive into what kind of company you want to be in the next 5 years. Scaling Up is an industry standard and it includes free planning tools found at Gazelles.com.
Research: A quick google search might take you to the Government of Canada templates found here. Or you might find this business course another client of mine discovered. She came out of the course with the tools to build an exceptional plan.
Get help: I know having a mentor helps me be accountable while talking about business planning and development ideas with my colleagues and clients opens doors to learning.
Setting aside the time to invest in developing a business plan can help you dream big, plan well, maintain focus throughout the year and have a benchmark to measure your effort against.
Below is a summary of items I suggest you include;
THE PAINTED PICTURE
A visionary description of what your business will look like three years from now
THE BUSINESS
What is your niche and differentiation points (what sets you apart from competitors)
What, Why, How
Audience specifics – Profiles / Personas (demographics, needs, attributes)
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Introduction to new client process (referrals, cold calls, etc.)
List of ideal industries and clients
Identify Sales Cycle + Process Steps
Strategy + Metrics
Client target markets
FINANCIALS
Expense Budget
Billable Expectations
Profit Expectations
Vacation Time
Financial Plan by Month – identify needs to meet your goals
OPERATIONS PLAN / PROJECTS
Marketing Plan
Workback schedules and budgets
Need some help? Give me a call at 403 400 5327 or email me to help you navigate.
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Branding 103 - Right person. Right job.
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Q&A with Tanya Puka of Brandsmith and the upside
Tanya takes us through her multifaceted role of strategist and entrepreneur.
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Join Ania for her epic annual closet purge of never worn or worn-once designer clothing, shoes, accessories and beauty products!
VIEW DETAILS HERE