32. The Plan: Mapping the Best Route

A business plan is a document that maps out the business concept and its strategies. The exercise helps get the entrepreneur going: writing the plan down helps him or her organize his or her thoughts and clarifies strategies and tactics.Here are the components of a good business plan:The Concept. Once your skill set has been determined and your idea for your business discovered, you are ready to define it as a concept. This is a one-sentence statement that answers the question: What is the experience I want my customers or client to have?

The Opportunity. Clarify the exact demand that your business will fulfill and how you are positioned to uniquely address that need. The Market Situation. Describe the general state of the market, opportunities and threats; look at the other players in the marketplace and what they’ve done and are doing now; determine any trends or currents the market may be heading to. The Strategy. This is the actual plan of action that will take the business from concept to reality. The Team and Operations. Do this to understand who it is you are looking for, who you want on your team – and why. The Financials. Businesses are run by numbers – enough said. Future Pacing.

Future benchmarks should always be considered; this should include a list of projected multiple revenue streams and the products or services that will generate these. You can speak to one of our advisers who can also access all our vacancies. This telephone job-matching service can help you find a permanent, temporary, full-time or part-time job. We can tell you about vacancies in your local area and beyond. If you're interested in a job, we can tell you how to apply, send you an application form and, whenever possible, ring the employer to arrange an interview.

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