If you want to create a multi million dollar business and personally become successful, you will need to be able to present difficult concepts to investors, staff and key stakeholders. The creation of wealth through business will not be possible unless you are able to do the following three things very well.
1. Simplify, conceptualize and analyze business models and marketplaces. Thendevelop this opportunity analysis into solid strategies for growth.
2. Make people understand the key vision and direction of the company.
3. Produce a clear concise action plan to ensure that we follow through on theplan.
The biggest tip I can give any fellow business person is to learn the art ofsimplifying the world around you and explain it in simple terms to those thatyou wish to follow you.
When it comes to preparing a business plan with punch...
The first thing to do when preparing a business plan "with punch"is to understand the reason why you are actually undertaking to do a businessplan.
A plan that you might do for your employee might be a simple one to three pagedocument. You need to get the employees to understand your vision and your strategy.In most cases you will want to leave your analysis out of your final documentas this will just bulk it up. (That is of course assuming that you are reportingdown the chain. I.e. you are the MD or CEO. If you are in a larger company anddoing a business plan then you will need to include your analysis. In both casesa simplified version of your analysis presented in a Microsoft PowerPoint typepresentation is essential. Why, because your staff will not blindly follow yourdirection unless you map it out and prove it is logical and possible.
My hints therefore would be
Use more diagrams than words. Diagrams such as competitive positioning,product life cycle or simple illustrative concepts such as those in this article.
Keep the document as short as possible.
Maintain a strong emphasis on the final Milestones
Focus on the KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) that need monitoring.
Develop financials that have best and worst case scenarios, so you can dowhat if analysis and examine the risks.
If your business plan was for government, banks or investors then your firstgoal is to impress.
My hints therefore would bePrint in colour. Color graphs, financials and product shots impress andbring the document to life.
Bind the final plan with a good hard back cover and transparent front.
Attach the financials and graphs to the document and make sure they areformatted nicely.
Have copies of certificates or awards that your company or your productshave won. Scan and get a screenshot and paste into the text of your document.
Show some nice positioning maps
Make sure document is at least 10 pages. Probably more like 20-30. The importantthing is that the reader has the impression that the document is comprehensive.
About Author
Peter Hickey Corprat ?Coaching - All rights reserved
Winner of the Ernst & Young NSW "Entrepreneur of the Year" awardin 1999
Bestselling author and designer of a number of multi award winning businesstools that are now being used by more than 60,000 companies around the world.
Founder of a software company that was listed as one of BRW's fastest growing100 private companies in 2000. Peter successfully built the company from a oneman business to a multi-million dollar concern. The company was acquired 10years after its inception by a multi billion dollar publisher.
Visit - http://www.corprat.com for more information on how to become a businesscoach and for our free Mini MBA program or business planning service.
Visit - http://www.plansforbusiness.com for more free resources and a free businessplanning software and free "how to sell your business guides."