Business Planning
Sustainable communities need sustainable businesses. You may need help getting a start. Business incubators provide assistance to startup organizations. If you are a clean energy technology startup, take a look at the Clean Energy Alliance or a local affiliate.
Another obvious idea that may help includes talking to some owners of similar businesses. Find out what they have experienced. Find out where they have gotten help. See if there is anything about their plans that can be helpful. Also, talk to potential customers, understand their needs, and develop a marketing strategy that utilizes this information.
The business plan is the most important document your business will produce. Whether you are an inventor bringing a product to market, or maybe you are opening a new services business, either will require a business plan. You will need it for investors, or external financing if you will require capital to open the business. And, you will need it as a point of comparison. To measure your results and understand where adjustments need to be made, you will need to know how you are doing as compared to your plan. No plan is perfect, no plan can predict performance, but all plans are a useful point of comparison. Without a plan, how will you know what to measure?
What are the elements of a good plan? Your plan will need some basics and then it will need some additional points to be covered, depending upon the type of business you are pursuing. As a starting point, here are a few thoughts:
1. Define the business, What need will you meet? What are your mission, vision, and core values? What are your assets?
2. What is the market/market size? Who are the customers and what are their strengths and weaknesses? Do you have a market entry strategy? What will be your market penetration?
3. Do a competitor analysis. Who are the competitors? What makes them successful or not?
4. How will you price your product or service, what are your competitors charging?
5. Do you have an overall management plan? Who will manage your business? Do you need employees? Do you need a staffing plan? Have you addressed the experience needed in all areas required to run your business?
6. Where will your business locate?
7. How will you sell your product or service?
8. How will you produce your product or service? Do you need a manufacturing plan?
9. How will you promote your business?
10. Define a budget and estimate profits- define sales projections, revenue, expenses, net income, cash flow (receivables/payables), capital requirements?
11. How will you grow? What is your plan? What will you need? Will it be possible? Do you need partners? Do you need capital? If you can't define how you will get from here to there, don't start the business.
Templates exist for business planning purposes. Jon’s Management Philosophy will provide ideas to think about for a more detailed plan. If you require help getting started, here are a few helpful documents.
Business plan for startup (SCORE)
Business plan for existing business (SCORE)
Business planning questions
Business plan presentation
If your business will be local, talk to your local Chamber of Commerce and local Economic Development Department. If you are considering government loans/assistance, check out the Small Business Administration website.
Small Business Management Series:
You may need help in making your new or existing business sustainable. Take a look at our blog. It has a number of sustainable business ideas for you, including the checklists by the Sacramento Sustainable Business program. If you want to purchase green energy, visit the Green-e Program. You will learn about Renewable Energy Certificates and other alternatives. If you need to learn about net metering, check out the PG&E website and download the net metering contract. Learn about incentives and rebates, visit State Incentives for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and your local utility website. Check out all the links on our home page. and on our resources page.