SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PLANNING WORKSHOP

BUSINESS PLANNING The goal: To help you improve the management of your business through business planning.

BUSINESS PLANNING A business plan is particularly important for: New or expanding businesses Creative, nontraditional alternative enterprises

BUSINESS PLANNING We have learned that business planning: Can be very time consuming Alternatively it can be expensive Or it can be both.

BUSINESS PLANNING The value of a Business Plan should outweigh the time and cost required to develop. Should facilitate change in a farm business Should improve management of the business.

BUSINESS PLANNING We have also learned that business planning: Should be done by farm managers It should not be done for them.

BUSINESS PLANNING Business Plans Frequently used to communicate the business externally – to lenders, investors, partners Demonstrate the business has a plan and is well managed

BUSINESS PLANNING Business Plans Should be used by farm manager to improve the management of the business Helps a manager think through: Where the business is at Where they want it to go

BUSINESS PLANNING Helps Producers Develop a: Strategic Plan Operations Plan Marketing Plan Personnel Plan Financial Plan

BUSINESS PLANNING TOOLS Building a Sustainable Business guide and the FINPACK Business Plan: Include the five planning components Have considerable content to help with each planning component

Building a Sustainable Business Guide Includes: A comprehensive discussion of the components of a business plan Worksheets to help think through your plan

Includes: A standard format to help develop and store your business plan. Tips or questions to help you think through your plan. Sample business plans

BUSINESS PLANNING Even with good tools the challenges of time, motivation, and expense remain. To help address these challenges we are privileged to be able to hear Dave & Florence Minar discuss their business planning experiences in the following video.