The Practical Business Plan for Development and Leadership

The following briefly defines the contents of a business plan and provides some questions to address within a business plan as you continue to develop your leadership, organization and business.

VISION

A vision is something that is ongoing without a specific end-point in time. Also, a vision is considered a soft skill because it may not be measurable. If your business is a structure to fulfill your greater purpose; what is the purpose? What is the long range picture of your business?

MISSION

A mission answers the following questions. What specific outcome does your business need to be focused on? What approach out of all possible approaches to your vision does your business need to take? What is your market ‘niche’? in what product or service does your business specialize? How will you put your mission into words that will be meaningful and inspiring to your employees? How will you keep your company mission up in front of employees, clients and associates, so they will stay on course?

OBJECTIVES

Objectives are the ultimate goals of your business. What are the long-term and short-term goals of your business? Identify those goals that will achieve your objectives. Create clear and concrete measurements. How many? By when? Design measurement systems for each distinct area of your business, which will be posted daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

STRATEGIES

Strategies are plans and skills that allow the business to achieve goals on the way to fulfilling your business mission and objectives. What is your action for your business? How will you get to where you are going from where you are now?

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

Standard operating procedures are the foundation and the rules of conduct for your business. This is the vehicle that will allow people to know if and when they are not operating true to company’s principles. What does your business stand for and what are the business commitments? What is the motivating force behind your business? By what principles will you operate? Write out an employee handbook or a company manual.

ORGANIZATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Organization is the system by which your business achieves specific purposes. Define what the business, departments, and individual employees are responsible for.

EXECUTION

Execution explains the measurement of actual results vs. the budget. Where can these resources be obtained and what will they cost? What are the appropriate actions?

BUDGET

A budget is an estimate of income and operating expenses for your business. Prepare an operating statement for your business for all 12 months.

MANAGING PROBLEMS AND BREAKDOWNS

When a company is committed to a goal, the structure within which people can work in managing breakdowns makes the difference between success and failure. You might want to invest in management training programs to get your managers educated on leadership management. An employee’s relationship to any business project or goal is directly shaped by that employee’s level of commitment.

We have outlined a practical simple breakdown of a business plan to use as a guideline during your ongoing process of development and leadership in your business. These are crucial aspects of your business that should never go unattended.

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Tags: Organizational Development, Strategic Planning