Business and Financial Planning

In the competitive economic climate of the nineties, planning for the next century is essential to help insure the success of your business. Business planning can be as obvious as laying the groundwork for a new company, or as involved as formulating long-range strategic plans for future growth.

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Developing a business plan requires an analysis of various data regarding operations, finances, and organization. Business owners may not have the time or the capabilities to develop a comprehensive business plan. There are five stages involved in developing a business plan for your company's growth.

	Develop a statement of business purpose
	Define goals
	Determine strengths and weaknesses
	Write the plan
	Monitor results and revise the plan

HOW YOUR BUSINESS PLAN HELPS YOU

Formalizing your company's objectives in a written document can help you initiate activities that will result in increased profitability. Setting carefully conceived business goals and plans can also result in the following:

Improved resource utilization
Increased employee motivation
Increased communications
Greater efficiency in decision making

Strategic planning

Preparing a business plan is essential to the financial wellbeing and future success of your business. A business plan is an objective analysis of your company.

It states:
1. Where the company is today
2. Where the company would like to be tomorrow
3. How you plan to get it there.

In short, the strategic planning process is a method to focus everyone's attention on the purpose and direction of your business. Once established, everyone throughout the organization can identify with the business objectives, and work as a team to achieve the desired results.

Operational planning

Within the framework of a long-range strategic plan, near-term operational planning is utilized to establish goals that give desired interim results. Marketing, sales, production, and financing requirements must be planned and coordinated to provide a smooth, efficient, and profitable organization.

Because of our broad range of business experience and expertise in financial and business matters, we can offer you valuable advice and assistance in devising a first rate business plan. We can help you and your management team identify strengths and weaknesses, and prepare a plan which addresses the problems and opportunities so you can reach your full potential.

Updated 9/20/97