Any great business starts with a solid business plan. A business plan helps you to step back and think objectively about key aspects of your business and helps to guide future decision-making whether you are trying to secure a business loan or not. No matter what stage your business is at, here are five tips to ensure that your business plan will be the best that it can be.
1. Try to prove yourself wrong
At every step of the way, you should try to find all the potential roadblocks that would prevent the success of your business. If you are actively trying to think of ways that your business can fail, you will be prepared for many more outcomes, and you will be able to tell relatively early on whether or not your idea will be successful. If your business idea still seems feasible even after trying to find all of the ways it could fail, then you are on the right track for a successful business plan.
2. Know your competition
No matter what your business is, you are going to deal with competition at some point. When building your business plan, you should be able to name all your main competitors and identify how they could be a threat to your business. Find out what their strengths and weaknesses are and compare them to your own. If you can be familiar with your competitors, then you will be prepared to set your business up with the best possible chances of success.
3. Have proof to back up your claims
It is very easy to be overconfident when putting together your business plan. If you are personally invested in your idea, many times you can make claims about your potential success that may not be realistic. To avoid this, make sure that you are able to back up your claims with proof. If you assert that you are going to have a certain amount of sales by a particular point in time, make sure that you have done the research to justify those figures and explain why you believe it is possible.
4. Get a second opinion
When creating your business plan, it can be tempting to get tunnel vision, and you may not be able to see some of the flaws in your plan. This is why it is very important to make sure you seek the help of others so you can get outside input. Having a fresh set of eyes on your business plan could help you see things from a different perspective and identify potential mistakes or issues in your plan. Getting a third and sometimes a fourth opinion is also advised. The more input you can get on your plan the better. Creating a business plan is not a solo job, so make sure to utilize your resources and use those around you.
5. Make sure your business plan is presentable
You can have a very solid idea for your business but if your business plan is hard to read and does not look professional, you may have to take a few steps back. The presentation of a business plan can turn a decent plan into a great one. A profe
ssional-looking business plan will make people take your business more seriously, and it can also help when trying to secure loans and investments. Do some research and find some business plans that you like the look of. Then, take the things you like from those plans and try to emulate them on your own.
There are many different things that separate a good business plan from a great one, but if you keep these five tips in mind, you will be on the right track to creating the latter. Just remember that a business plan takes a lot of time and effort to get right, but if you put in the work and do your research, anyone can put together a well-thought-out and professional-looking plan.
Thanks for reading!
- Michael