Business Planning

A well-researched, well thought-out business plan is essential for a few reasons. First, it increases your chances of success by forcing you to consider every aspect of your business and it serves as an ongoing roadmap or benchmark so you can gauge your success. Finally, it’s what investors, including banks, want to see in order to determine whether your business—and you—are good risks.

In your business plan, you should include:

• How the company will be managed and owned

• Product(s) and/or service(s) you will offer

• Materials and resources you’ll need

• Potential strengths and weaknesses of your company

• Your company’s short and long-term plans

• The market and industry into which your business is directed (including suppliers, customers, competitors, threats, opportunities)

• Marketing, sales and production plans

• Operating cost amount; sources and types of financing it may require, including personal resources you may need to tap into

• Sales and cash flow forecasts

If you're starting a home-based business on a shoestring, some of these suggestions probably aren't necessary, but you still should create a plan that outlines your goals, expected costs, marketing plan, and exit strategy. A business plan is your road map for how you expect to succeed and how you'll measure success. To develop a good plan, you need to consider quite a few things.

For more information on what should be included in a business plan, visit our Planning for Business page.

A business plan is a written summary of all the activities of your proposed business. Feel free to pick up information on what should be included a business plan, samples, or a template at the Chatham-Kent Small Business Centre. If you like, book an appointment with us for a complimentary business plan review.