Business Plan Process and Action

Consider the uses of a business plan to guide day to day and long-term decision making.

Discover how a business plan might support strategic conversations with funders and partner organizations.

Learn more about the twelve questions funders ask that can be answered by a business plan.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the benefits of the development and use of a business plan?

2. Should start up or emerging organizations or partnerships create a business plan?

3. What need are you seeking to meet?

4. What is needed to meet this need?

5. Who is your competition for delivering products or services to meet this need? Can these individuals or organizations become a strategic partner?

6. How will the partnership financially launch and sustain these products and services?

The outline and subject matter of a Business Plan is consistent across the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Learn more about the elements of a Business Plan: executive summary, organizational description, products and services, market analysis, marketing/communication plan, implementation strategies, organizational structure and financial analysis.

Discussion Questions

If you were drafting a business plan to support the work of a partnership, how would you describe:

1. Why this partnership is in a position to lead on this topic?

2. How research and development has informed the partnership’s investment in products and services?

3. Who are providing similar products and services to meet the public’s need?

4. What are the details of the outreach plan?

5. What are 3 benchmarks in the implementation plan?

6. Who are the decision-makers of the partnership and individual partners?

7. What is the financial health of this partnership initiative?    

Are you ready to create a Business Plan?

Explore the 6 phases of Business Plan development: concept, research and development, production, beta test, adoption and roll out.

Discussion Questions

1. Who should serve on the Business Plan work group?

2. How would you define the audience of the Business Plan?

3. What information will you collect during the research and development phase?

4. What visuals might you use to illustrate the Business Plan?

5. How will you vet the draft Business Plan?

6. What is the value of sharing the Business Plan?

7. How will you monitor and evaluate the performance of the Business Plan?

8. What is the relationship between the Strategic Plan and the Business Plan of your organization or partnership?