CHECKLIST FOR AFRICAN SEED COMPANY DEVELOPMENT Strategic Planning What do you want to accomplish (in terms of volume, growth, financial, reputation)? Where do you plan to compete (which market segments are you targeting, e.g., geographic, product, customer type, other)? How do you plan to beat the competition? Why will customers buy? Why will they buy from you versus a competitor? Answer the above questions and also develop your plan for executing major elements of strategy, including:  Developing and protecting your reputation  Determining your economic business model (How will you make a profit?)  Managing your rate of growth (You don’t want to stall, but you don’t want to expand too quickly and crash and burn either.)  Balancing bulk sales vs. direct retail sales  Role and scale of research and development  Networking, joint-venturing strategies  Creating business opportunities (new linkages)

Product Management New products/product line planning Inventory management Quality testing and assurance Packaging Seed treatment Communication of technical information, training sellers Production Planning Input acquisition (including foundation seed) Contracting/outgrower systems Planting, crop management, harvesting Quality assurance during growing Cleaning, packaging, storage Risk management, including cost analysis Certification

Market Planning… Knowing your customer Demand forecasting Market information and research Industry and competitive dynamics Cost/benefit analysis …and Marketing Customer education and demonstrations Field days Pricing Sales Distribution  Model/approaches  Economics (e.g., commission structure) Promotion (e.g., brochures, signs, posters, radio, etc.)

Finance Financial accounting systems (what the accountants want) Management accounting (numbers the managers use, e.g., ratios, product margins, etc.) Financial controls, including planning for collections Budgeting Working capital management (the money you need to bridge the gap between when you spend for production and when you get paid by your customers) Capital expenditure planning (for items such as equipment, vehicles, etc.) Financing (bank loans, capital investments, etc.)  Plan  Obtain  Maintain

Human Resource Management Skills analysis Hiring Compensation structure Training needs Coaching and development Other Extension work/agronomic support Information technology (IT) Legal requirements Facilities management Advocacy re: policy and regulatory PASS Meeting Output, Dec (George Bigirwa, Issoufou Kapran, Joe DeVries, Rob Tripp, Richard Jones, Ashington Ngigi, Jane Ininda, Acar Toure, Ed Mabaya, Chris Kaijuka, Aline O’Connor Funk)