Business planning

Having a Business Plan is important if you are to have a clear direction and are to be in control of what you do. Your business plan will outline your plans for the short and medium term and will usually cover plans for the next three years. It will also contain your mission and vision, an analysis of your environment which will include a stakeholder analysis and a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. You will then develop a set of strategic options and evaluate which one you wish to pursue. This will lead to your business objectives. Financial projections and an action plan will be included. Business plans help guard against "strategic drift" which is often caused by chasing funders criteria rather that staying true to your own vision.

The BHCI Performance Development Service can support organisations to write their own business plans. Ring 229000 or 229380. See website for more details of which organisations qualify for help. BHCI can provide a business plan structure. Your business plan will be your major strategy document and therefore needs full involvement and oversight from your board of trustees.

Business Community Partnership can support business planning for social enterprises or can help find someone from the business sector to assist in business planning.

Working Together Project provides training in all aspects of business planning.