Lately, I’ve been rethinking Business Plan Writing… Rethinking the role of a Business Plan in the World of Startups.
On the one hand – in the consulting, finance, investor and academic world – what is meant by a Business Plan is a fairly comprehensive research project. It includes a thorough analysis of issues including customers, markets, competitors, pricing, marketing strategies, risks, with detailed multi-paged financial projections looking three- to five years into the future as a conclusion. For this type of Business Plan, management works on it for months or hires a Business Plan Writer to do it for them. Either way, it’s not unusual to invest a hundred hours or more into creating it.
On the other hand – in most of the business world – what is generally meant by a Business Plan is a brief written statement indicating goals and overall steps for achieving those goals. The goals might relate to customers, sales, units sold, profits, and facilities. It looks out a year, maybe two into the future. This Business Plan is something the owner or management puts together in a few meetings and then gets updated every year or two.
THESE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE TERM BUSINESS PLAN, AND I’M BEGINNING TO WONDER IF BOTH ARE MISSING THE MARK…
Read More: 16 Business Models to Choose from in Business Plan Writing
The comprehensive Business Plan isn’t all that practical for small businesses and startups (although most local funders still require the lengthy Business Plan). Generally, SMEs and Startups lack the time and money to do all that work, however valuable it might be to do so.
Moreover, the brief Business Plan can be very superficial. Even to the point that it does little more than set ambitious goals with minimal guidance on what to do when the business encounters those pesky potholes in the road. Most importantly, the brief Business Plan will not be enough to present to investors. It does not contain all the information needed by these funders and investors. A Business Plan presented to the IDC looks different from a Business Plan offered to an investment bank or VC.
SO, HERE’S MY IDEA FOR A THIRD KIND OF BUSINESS PLAN – FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET – TAKING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS INTO ACCOUNT…
Where to Now in Business Plan Writing?
For now, I’m calling it the Business Model Navigator/Pitch Deck Hybrid Business Plan.
Keep it short and on point, but still useful. It involves doing “Just Enough” and “Just in Time” research, projections and analysis into “Just the Right Areas” that will matter for achieving success within the business. The “Just Enough” approach provides its findings within a 3-page Business Model Summary. Then, a 2-page Financial Projections Summary and then finally, a 5-Page Pitch that incorporates all the other essential facets, e.g. management experience, target market, competitors and market size.
- Can this offer the best of both worlds? It just might.
- Will it attract investors? I don’t know, but I do know they’re more likely to read this version of a Business Plan than the 100-page variation.
- Will it be more affordable to new entrepreneurs? Most definitely!
Need the Best Business Plan?
No matter what size, big or small, your business is, creating a Business Plan is very important. The business plan will serve as a guide that outlines your goals and all the details regarding how you can reach such goals. But planning is just wishful thinking if there’s no proper execution and a solid business model in place. In order to develop a business plan, clarity is required on what business models your business will use. Hence, in this article, we are going to review several business model examples and their impact when creating a business plan.
Business owners have it hard, facing many challenges in making their businesses grow. Planning and strategising will need to face reality very soon when choosing a business model to implement. Every business model will, of course, have its advantages and disadvantages and also needs to be checked if that really will work for the type of business you are going to pursue. Nevertheless, choosing a great business model allows you to create significant value for customers and turn your enterprise into a financial success.
Read More: Business Plan Writers: 5 Easy Tips to Finding One
