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How to Write a Job Description for a Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you in the process of writing the job description section of your business plan? Or you need a sample job description template? Then I advice you read on. Here, you drive home the point that not only do you know what you are doing or where you are going, but that you have the right mix of talent and experience to actually make it all happen.

You will need to highlight key members of your management team ( which may be only you for the time being ) as well as external service providers such as lawyers, accountants, and contract professionals. Also, include your advisors or board members ( if you have any ) as well as the positions you will be looking to hire in the near future.

While planning your business, one of the most important steps that you shouldn’t skip is writing a job description for every position that you are planning to hire an employee for. This may not be important if you have no plans to hire employees.

A job description is an important tool for hiring and managing your employees, as it helps them understand their roles and responsibilities even before they start working with you. It tells them what they need to do, how they need to do it, and what they will be held accountable for as soon as they assume their duties. It also reveal to investors who-is-who in your proposed or established business. In addition, a job description does the following:

4 Benefits of a Job Description in a Business Plan

• It helps you attract the right employees
• It gives a detailed description of an employee’s job or position
• It serves as a basis for outlining performance expectations, career advancement, job training, and job evaluation
• It provides a reference point for compensation decisions as well as unfair hiring practices

Writing a Job Description for a Business Plan – Sample Template

A job description should be clearly written, accurate, and very practical. It must effectively define your needs as well as what you expect from your employees. To write a good job description, you should start by analyzing the important facts about a job, such as:

The individual tasks involved

What are the tasks that the employee must complete on a periodic basis? Outline daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, and quarterly tasks required of the employee. To be practical enough, outline the duration and requirements of each task as well.

The methods for completing each task

If the tasks outlined can be handled using more than one method, outline which methods you can afford to provide your employee (but for optimal employee efficiency, make provisions for the best method available).

The purpose and responsibilities of the job

Outline how the role played by the chosen candidate would contribute to the business. Also, outline what the employee would be held accountable for.

The relationship of the job to other jobs

Outline how the chosen employee would work with other employees within the company.

Qualifications needed for the job

Outline the relevant qualifications that each candidate must have. Also state the number of years for which the candidate must have gained working experience in the same position.

The Outline of a Job Description

A job description typically includes the following:

• Job objective or overall purpose statement
• Brief of the general nature and level of the job
• Detailed description of the wide scope of the position
• List of duties or tasks to be performed that are critical to success
• Key functional and relational responsibilities (listed in order of significance)
• Description of the relationships and roles within the company, including the supervisory roles, subordinating roles, and other working relationships

In addition to the above listed, the following items may be added to the job description if deemed necessary:

• Job requirements, standards, and specifications
• Job location where the work will be performed
• Equipments available to be used for the job
• Salary range

5 Tips to Note When Writing a Job Description

• Always use verbs in the present tense.
• For the purpose of clarity and adding meaning, use explanatory sentences telling why, how, where, or how often whenever necessary.
• Delete any unnecessary articles such as “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” or other stop words to make the description easy to read and understand.
• Be unbiased in your use of pronouns. Use the “ he/she ” approach or construct your sentences in such a way that you won’t have to use pronouns.
• Avoid the use of adverbs or adjectives that are subject to additional explanation and interpretation; such as some, complex, several, occasional, frequently, etc. Rather than use them, use clear sentences that define your intent.

What to Avoid When Writing a Job Description

Don’t be rigid with your job description, as this may make you miss out on many diligent employees who can become great assets to your business. Jobs are subject to change for personal improvement, organizational development, and evolution of new technologies. A flexible job description encourages employees to grow within their position and contribute over time to the growth and development of your business.

In conclusion , a well-written job description can make all the difference between a successful business that grows over the years and one that remains on the same spot after several years. The right employees, if chosen for your business, can help propel your business to great heights within a short period. Only with a good job description can you hire such.

• Go to Chapter 8 Part E: Planning your Business Legal Structure

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How To Write the Management Section of a Business Plan

Susan Ward wrote about small businesses for The Balance for 18 years. She has run an IT consulting firm and designed and presented courses on how to promote small businesses.

Ownership Structure

Internal management team, external management resources, human resources, frequently asked questions (faqs).

When developing a business plan , the 'management section' describes your management team, staff, resources, and how your business ownership is structured. This section should not only describe who's on your management team but how each person's skill set will contribute to your bottom line. In this article, we will detail exactly how to compose and best highlight your management team.

Key Takeaways

• The management section of a business plan helps show how your management team and company are structured.
• The first section shows the ownership structure, which might be a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation.
• The internal management section shows the department heads, including sales, marketing, administration, and production.
• The external management resources help back up your internal management and include an advisory board and consultants.
• The human resources section contains staffing requirements—part-time or full-time—skills needed for employees and the costs.

This section outlines the legal structure of your business. It may only be a single sentence if your business is a sole proprietorship. If your business is a partnership or a corporation, it can be longer. You want to be sure you explain who holds what percentage of ownership in the company.

The internal management section should describe the business management categories relevant to your business, identify who will have responsibility for each category, and then include a short profile highlighting each person's skills.

The primary business categories of sales, marketing , administration, and production usually work for many small businesses. If your business has employees, you will also need a human resources section. You may also find that your company needs additional management categories to fit your unique circumstances.

It's not necessary to have a different person in charge of each category; some key management people often fill more than one role. Identify the key managers in your business and explain what functions and experience each team member will serve. You may wish to present this as an organizational chart in your business plan, although the list format is also appropriate.

Along with this section, you should include the complete resumés of each management team member (including your own). Follow this with an explanation of how each member will be compensated and their benefits package, and describe any profit-sharing plans that may apply.

If there are any contracts that relate directly to your management team members, such as work contracts or non-competition agreements, you should include them in an Appendix to your business plan.

While external management resources are often overlooked when writing a business plan , using these resources effectively can make the difference between the success or failure of your managers. Think of these external resources as your internal management team's backup. They give your business credibility and an additional pool of expertise.

Advisory Board

An Advisory Board can increase consumer and investor confidence, attract talented employees by showing a commitment to company growth and bring a diversity of contributions. If you choose to have an Advisory Board , list all the board members in this section, and include a bio and all relevant specializations. If you choose your board members carefully, the group can compensate for the niche forms of expertise that your internal managers lack.

When selecting your board members, look for people who are genuinely interested in seeing your business do well and have the patience and time to provide sound advice.

Recently retired executives or managers, other successful entrepreneurs, and/or vendors would be good choices for an Advisory Board.

Professional Services

Professional Services should also be highlighted in the external management resources section. Describe all the external professional advisors that your business will use, such as accountants, bankers, lawyers, IT consultants, business consultants, and/or business coaches. These professionals provide a web of advice and support outside your internal management team that can be invaluable in making management decisions and your new business a success .

The last point you should address in the management section of your business plan is your human resources needs. The trick to writing about human resources is to be specific. To simply write, "We'll need more people once we get up and running," isn't sufficient. Follow this list:

• Detail how many employees your business will need at each stage and what they will cost.
• Describe exactly how your business's human resources needs can be met. Will it be best to have employees, or should you operate with contract workers or freelancers ? Do you need full-time or part-time staff or a mix of both?
• Outline your staffing requirements, including a description of the specific skills that the people working for you will need to possess.
• Calculate your labor costs. Decide the number of employees you will need and how many customers each employee can serve. For example, if it takes one employee to serve 150 customers, and you forecast 1,500 customers in your first year, your business will need 10 employees.
• Determine how much each employee will receive and total the salary cost for all your employees.
• Add to this the cost of  Workers' Compensation Insurance  (mandatory for most businesses) and the cost of any other employee benefits, such as company-sponsored medical and dental plans.

After you've listed the points above, describe how you will find the staff your business needs and how you will train them. Your description of staff recruitment should explain whether or not sufficient local labor is available and how you will recruit staff.

When you're writing about staff training, you'll want to include as many specifics as possible. What specific training will your staff undergo? What ongoing training opportunities will you provide your employees?

Even if the plan for your business is to start as a sole proprietorship, you should include a section on potential human resources demands as a way to demonstrate that you've thought about the staffing your business may require as it grows.

Business plans are about the future and the hypothetical challenges and successes that await. It's worth visualizing and documenting the details of your business so that the materials and network around your dream can begin to take shape.

What is the management section of a business plan?

The 'management section' describes your management team, staff, resources, and how your business ownership is structured.

What are the 5 sections of a business plan?

A business plan provides a road map showing your company's goals and how you'll achieve them. The five sections of a business plan are as follows:

• The  market analysis  outlines the demand for your product or service.
• The  competitive analysis  section shows your competition's strengths and weaknesses and your strategy for gaining market share.
• The management plan outlines your ownership structure, the management team, and staffing requirements.
• The  operating plan  details your business location and the facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to operate.
• The  financial plan  shows the map to financial success and the sources of funding, such as bank loans or investors.

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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)

Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.

If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.

Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.

You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.

Let’s get started.

What Do You Need A Business Plan For?

Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.

1. Secure Funds

One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.

For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.

A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.

Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.

2. Monitor Business Growth

A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:

• The business goals
• Methods to achieve the goals
• Time-frame for attaining those goals

A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.

You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.

3. Measure Business Success

A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.

Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.

You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.

4. Document Your Marketing Strategies

You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.

Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.

In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:

• How do you want to reach your target audience?
• How do you plan to retain your customers?
• What is/are your pricing plans?
• What is your budget for marketing?

How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step

1. create your executive summary.

The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.

Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.

A good executive summary should do the following:

• A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
• Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
• Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
• The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
• Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
• Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
• Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
• Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
• Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.

The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.

Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.

View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What sector or industry are you in?
• What are your products and services?
• What is the future of your industry?
• Is your company scaleable?
• Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
• What is the motivation for starting your company?
• What are the next steps?

Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.

The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.

If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.

2. Add Your Company Overview

The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.

Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.

Your company overview should contain the following:

• What products and services you will provide
• Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
• What you need to run your business
• Who your target audience or customers are
• Who will service your customers
• Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
• Information about your company’s founders
• Who the founders are
• Notable achievements of your company so far

When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.

If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.

• Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
• What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
• How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
• Where is the location of your business?
• What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
• How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
• How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?

After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.

The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.

Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”

When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:

• Founding Date
• Major Milestones
• Location(s)
• Flagship Products or Services
• Number of Employees
• Executive Leadership Roles

When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.

Business Objectives

Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.

3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity

The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.

Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.

This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.

Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?

You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.

Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?

Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?

Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.

Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.

Market Analysis

Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.

The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.

A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.

• Market Research

To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.

• Your target market’s needs or pain points
• The existing solutions for their pain points
• Geographic Location
• Demographics

The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.

Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.

You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.

How to Quantify Your Target Market

One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:

• Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
• Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
• Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
• Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.

What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?

Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.

You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:

• Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
• Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
• Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
• Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
• Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
• Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
• Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
• Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.

The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.

Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.

• Is your product or service of superior quality?
• What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
• Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?

Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.

Competitive Analysis

In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.

Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.

Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.

The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.

Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.

When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.

Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.

• What are your successful competitors doing?
• Why is what they are doing working?
• Can your business do it better?
• What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
• What are they not doing well?
• Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
• How good is your competitors’ customer service?
• Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
• What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
• What marketing strategies are they using?
• What kind of press coverage do they get?
• What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?

If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.

If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.

Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.

The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.

Direct vs Indirect Competition

You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.

There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.

If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.

In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.

For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.

There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.

Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.

1. Cost Leadership

A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.

A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.

2. Product Differentiation

Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.

Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.

3. Market Segmentation

As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.

If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.

4. Define Your Business and Management Structure

The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.

Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.

If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.

Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.

The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.

Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.

Management Team

The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.

Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.

A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.

Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.

Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.

If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.

Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team

• Who are the key leaders?
• What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
• Do your key leaders have industry experience?
• What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
• What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
• What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?

Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section

1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team

There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.

Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.

2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles

Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.

While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.

Organizational Chart

Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.

If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.

An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.

You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.

5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering

In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.

Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.

The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.

If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”

Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:

• A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
• The pricing model for your product or service.
• Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
• The ideal customers that want your product or service.
• The benefits of your products and services.
• Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
• Plans for filling the orders you receive
• If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.

What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services

In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.

When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Unique features
• Translating the unique features into benefits
• The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
• Intellectual property rights or any patents

When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
• Time between purchases
• Plans for research and development.

When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:

• The creation of new or existing products and services.
• The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
• Assembling the products
• Maintaining quality control
• Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
• The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.

Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan

1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords

The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.

A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.

2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors

When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.

If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.

For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.

3. Long or Short Products or Services Section

Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?

There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.

If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.

Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.

The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.

If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.

A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.

4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers

Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.

Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.

5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers

The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.

When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.

While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.

Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section

Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.

• Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
• What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
• What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
• Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
• Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
• How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
• What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
• What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
• What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
• Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
• Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
• How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?

You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.

6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan

Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.

The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.

There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.

In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.

Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).

Target Market and Target Audience

Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.

Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.

Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.

Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.

Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.

Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.

Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?

Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market

• What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
• What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
• Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
• How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?

After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.

All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.

Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.

For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].

For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.

“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”

You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.

After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.

Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.

You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.

Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering

Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.

• Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
• Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
• Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.

• Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
• Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
• Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.

After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.

As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.

There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.

Advertising

Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.

Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.

Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.

A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.

Public Relations

A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.

Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,

Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.

Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.

If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.

Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.

When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.

• Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
• What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
• How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?

Social Media

Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.

You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.

Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.

Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.

You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.

Strategic Alliances

If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.

Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.

The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.

Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.

Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan

1. Focus on Your Target Market

Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.

You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.

These questions can help you know your competition.

• What makes your competition successful?
• What are their weaknesses?
• What are customers saying about your competition?

3. Consider Your Brand

Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.

4. Focus on Benefits

The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.

Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.

5. Focus on Differentiation

Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan

• What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
• What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
• What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
• Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
• What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
• Where will you sell your products?

You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.

The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.

7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request

If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’

A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.

Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.

In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.

Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.

If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.

Funding Request: Debt or Equity?

When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.

Case for Equity

If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.

Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.

Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.

Case for Debt

You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.

When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.

Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.

Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.

You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.

Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan

The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.

If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.

You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.

If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .

Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.

8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections

If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.

The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.

If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.

If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.

When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.

Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.

Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.

Use Graphs and Charts

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.

Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.

Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections

Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.

You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.

What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.

A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.

Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.

1. Sales Forecast

Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.

One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.

For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.

Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.

Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.

For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.

2. Personnel Plan

The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.

However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.

The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.

3. Income Statement

The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.

Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.

The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.

• Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
• Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
• Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
• Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
• Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
• Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
• Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.

4. Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.

5. Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.

You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.

6. Exit Strategy

The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.

Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.

Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.

Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection

Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.

You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.

Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.

• What is your sales forecast for the next year?
• When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
• What are the core expenses you need to operate?
• How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
• How will you use the loans or investments?

9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan

Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.

The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.

When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.

Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.

You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.

If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.

A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.

The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.

People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.

Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan

The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:

• Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
• Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
• Additional financial documents or projections
• Articles of incorporation and status
• Backup for market research or competitive analysis
• Bank statements
• Business registries
• Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
• Copies of insurances
• Credit histories (personal or/and business)
• Deeds and permits
• Equipment leases
• Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
• Industry associations and memberships
• Images of product
• Intellectual property
• Key customer contracts
• Legal documents and other contracts
• Letters of reference
• Links to references
• Market research data
• Organizational charts
• Photographs of potential facilities
• Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
• Purchase orders
• Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
• State and federal identification numbers or codes
• Trademarks or patents’ registrations

Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.

Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan

To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.

The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.

Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.

• A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
• A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
• A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.

2. Get Inspiration from People

Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.

To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.

When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.

3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic

Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.

The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.

In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.

The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.

To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.

4. Keep it Simple and Short

When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.

One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.

Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.

You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.

To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.

5. Make an Outline and Follow Through

A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.

For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.

To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.

This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Product or service description
• Target audience
• Market size
• Competition analysis
• Financial projections

Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.

6. Ask a Professional to Proofread

When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.

You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.

In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.

Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.

Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time

1. hubspot's one-page business plan.

The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.

Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:

• Business opportunity
• Company description
• Industry analysis
• Target market
• Implementation timeline
• Marketing plan
• Financial summary
• Funding required

2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template

Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.

The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.

3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.

The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.

There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.

4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute

My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.

The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.

• The Business Profile
• The Vision and the People
• Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
• Organization
• Licenses and Permits
• Business Insurance
• Communication Tools
• Acquisitions
• Location and Leasing
• Accounting and Cash Flow
• Opening and Marketing
• Managing Employees
• Expanding and Handling Problems

There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.

5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.

The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.

There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.

The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.

6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage

The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .

There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.

7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.

There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Service Line
• Marketing and Sales

8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.

There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.

9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template

The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.

There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Products and services
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion / Call to action
• Confidentiality statement

You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)

PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.

10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.

Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.

Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan

A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.

Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.

The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.

Segments of the Business Model Canvas

The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.

• Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
• Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
• The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
• Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
• Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
• Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
• Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
• Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
• Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?

Lean Canvas

The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.

Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:

• Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
• Solution: The solutions to each problem.
• Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
• Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.

Startup Pitch Deck

While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.

Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.

Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.

Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.

Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.

• Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
• Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
• Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
• Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
• Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
• Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
• Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
• Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
• Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
• Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
• Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
• Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.

It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.

Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.

Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan

• Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
• Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
• Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
• Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.

Business Plan FAQ

Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time.  They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.

Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans.  A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.

A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs.  Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.

The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.

A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.

Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.

Exlore Further

• 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
• 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
• 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
• How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

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All About People

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

All About People (AAP) began out of the desire to contribute to this community, just as communities have fed All About People’s proprietor over the years. Although originally from a larger market, the proprietor realizes the need in the southern Willamette Valley for a personnel agency that fills a void left by other temporary and permanent placement agencies. AAP matches specifically skilled workers with clients, saving businesses time and money, while providing for its employees with honesty and honor. This requires a high level of communication. It means asking open-ended questions and listening, not talking. This means knowing the local market so AAP can really serve each client and employee, not just “sell” them our goods. AAP is quality service.

The long-term vision includes a number of offices throughout the southern Willamette Valley. The proprietor sees the challenge in this vision, not in the growth itself, but in training and encouraging all AAP personnel to treat each client and employee with the same care and with the same level of communication.

Managing our Growth AAP is a sole proprietorship that will convert to an S Corporation. As a new corporate entity, AAP will be treated as a start-up in this business plan. During the past couple of years the proprietor provided all services. In Year 1, the company will add a part-time office staff person and an employment specialist. In response to this growth, AAP will have a procedures manual for in-house staff to assure that the information is clear. In addition, AAP will provide employees with regular training within the divisions to assure they understand the details of the work they are doing daily. Year 2 projections include a receptionist, another employment specialist, and a field representative. In Year 3, AAP will examine the feasibility of opening a branch office in the Salem, Bend, or Medford/Ashland areas.

The Market AAP is structured like other temporary and permanent placement agencies. However, it will serve clients with needs for select, specialized professionals rather than clerical or light industrial workers. Several businesses in Portland, Oregon provide a similar service to specific groups of people, but there are none for the Willamette Valley. AAP has five divisions, targeting the following areas of expertise:

• Editors/Writers

Event Planners

Graphic Artists

• Interpreters/Translators.

Services AAP will handle recruiting, including reference checks, skills evaluation, preliminary interviewing,  and screening of all employees for its clients. AAP acts as an extension of the client’s human resource department, assuring that there is open communication between supervisor and employee, and assisting with any troubleshooting or problem solving that may be needed.

Financials The company’s start-up requirements are $55,464, of which $7,600 will be provided for by the owner’s personal investment. The rest will be obtained through loans.

We expect to be able to charge a 50% markup to our business clients. Thus, if an employee is being paid $10 per hour, we are charging the client $15 per hour. The company predicts that it will be able to produce sales of approximately $300,000 by Year 3. The company does not have any direct cost of sales; we track payments to placed individuals as regular payroll.

1.1 Objectives

AAP is structured like other temporary and permanent placement agencies. However, we serve clients with needs for select specialized professionals, rather than clerical or light industrial workers. Several businesses in Portland, Oregon provide a similar service to specific groups of people. AAP followed the model of one placement firm described below.

A contract engineering firm places temporary workers who are hardware and software engineers. Employees earn between $80- $100 per hour and approximately seven employees are placed per month. The firm recruits through its website, advertises in newspapers, magazines, and trade publications. Incentives offered to contingent workers include medical, dental, and disability insurance, 401(K), and a reference finder’s fee for placement referrals. They find their employees are 60 percent male, 40 percent female, and ages spread evenly.

AAP serves the business client by locating a professional worker, interviewing and screening that worker, setting up interviews if necessary, and administering all hiring paperwork. The company runs payroll and bills the client bi-monthly. AAP will also manage the professional, staying in close contact with the client and communicating with the worker regarding any personnel issues that may arise.

The professional worker is served with employment opportunities at no cost; pay rates that are within industry standards; and health insurance may be purchased, if a worker becomes eligible, at a group rate starting at $124/mo. AAP will pay $65/mo for any coverage chosen from the group package.

1.2 Mission

All About People’s mission is to contribute to the community by filling a need for specialized, professional, contingent workers. The company will provide workers with a safe and independent environment. It will also provide businesses with a high-caliber of employee available for project or permanent work. All About People listens to individual needs and customizes personnel solutions for both businesses and workers.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

AAP is a temporary and permanent placement personnel agency working solely with skilled, professional workers and Willamette Valley businesses. AAP differs from other temporary and permanent placement agencies because of our skilled workers. The company believes that the temporary industry pays only cursory attention to providing businesses highly qualified workers for permanent and non-permanent positions. AAP has five divisions, targeting the following areas of expertise:

AAP does not provide general clerical, light industrial, engineers, accountants, nurses, or other medical technicians.

AAP does the following for each client:

• Recruiting (reference checking)
• Skills evaluation (preliminary interviewing)

AAP conducts regular evaluations: AAP checks in with the supervisor and the worker during the first week on the assignment. AAP then checks in as agreed with the client. AAP acts as an extension of the client business’ human resource department assuring that there is open communication between supervisor and employee, and assisting with any troubleshooting or problem solving that may be needed.

Prior to opening our doors, research showed support for the development of a personnel agency working solely with professional contingent workers and Willamette Valley businesses (see topic 7.3 Supporting Research).

According to the Oregon Department of Employment, Lane County has 31 temporary agency firms with 3200 individuals employed. Total employment figures for Lane County are 250,000; therefore, we support between two and four percent of the population.

Through connections in a variety of areas, AAP is able to locate qualified workers not only through advertising, but through a channel of networking. This past year has shown that qualified, willing workers are certainly available as we currently have hundreds on staff willing and able to work.

2.1 Company Ownership

AAP is a sole proprietorship that will convert to an S Corporation. As a new corporate entity, AAP will be treated as a start-up in this business plan.

The sole proprietor, Sarah Wayland, can be reached at AAP’s office, [contact information omitted in this sample plan].

2.2 Start-up Summary

Projected start-up figures are shown in the chart and table below.

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The company is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this market opportunity because of the management and field expertise of the proprietor. Sarah Wayland worked in the temporary employment industry for three years with ADIA Personnel Services (now ADECCO) as Area Account Manager (in training as a branch manager): building business relationships; hiring employees; handling employee issues; working with clients during the implementation of ADIA; and opening an additional office in Beaverton, Oregon.

For one year the proprietor was a District Sales Manager at Columbia Distributing, showing a 10% increase on $3.5 million in annual sales. Managing a staff of nine in sales and customer service, she had the opportunity to delve further into hiring/firing, reviewing, incentives outside of salary, and personnel issues.

Most recently, she has spent several years as Funds and Contracts Manager at the Oregon University System; managing four grants totaling $1.5 million annually and all personal service and interagency contracts as well.

The proprietor’s most notable success was bringing the second branch of Cellular West located in Portland, Oregon, from running in the red, to breaking even within four months of its opening. She accomplished this by using motivational tools and providing the sales force with extensive training.

3.1 Products and Services Plan

Changing labor market conditions threaten the concept of full-time permanent employment.

AAP provides a complex blend of services to distinct populations. The company serves businesses through connecting them with the professional contingent work force. It also serves the worker by connecting them with businesses, at no charge, and providing benefits not often provided by other employment agencies.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

All About People (AAP) is a local firm that costs less than a consultant or agency, provides for both project and long-term needs, and has an easy, pay and billing rate system that covers employee payroll and worker’s compensation insurance.

There are a variety of reasons why businesses may need AAP’s services:

• Spikes in work load
• Business expands into an area that in-house expertise does not yet match
• Special events
• Pregnancy leave or sabbatical
• Business increases after layoffs
• Smaller business does not yet have staff on-hand to complete extra projects.

According to economic forecasters, employment agencies and financial services are expected to have the largest industry growth over the next 25 years. The trend toward businesses cutting back on employees and their benefits due to high costs creates the demand for AAP’s services.

Just consider the time, energy, and resources an employer may spend trying to employ a person for a 20-hour task.

In addition to the already lucrative temporary industry, several companies in the Portland Metro Area place professional contingent workers, but the southern Willamette Valley is not currently being served.

The company approaches businesses primarily through networking and cold calls. Our intention is to utilize a PR agency for more coverage as soon as possible. AAP is a member of the area Chamber of Commerce and actively participates in as many activities as possible, the proprietor is a member of the Women’s Business Network, the Professional Women’s Organization, and we are in the process of connecting with the Society for Human Resource Management. Prior to start-up, AAP also surveyed several area businesses about their use of contingent workers. The company will use its website and other marketing materials that describe what services we provide and explain how simple it is to work with us.

AAP advertises in local papers and trade magazines when absolutely necessary, but most often uses the Oregon Employment Department, both community college and university campuses, and the networking groups we are members of to search out the right employee. Prior to the sole proprietor start-up, the company started recruiting by administering twenty personnel surveys and advertising locally to create a staff of qualified contingent workers. This staff will be unaffected by AAP’s corporate restructuring.

4.1 Market Segmentation

The market can be broken down into two segments: the business market segment, and the employee market segment. Both of these segments are lucrative.

Business market targets: The company targets the University of Oregon, Lane Community College, the nonprofit organizations, the publishing industry, the advertising industry, and other large businesses.

Employee market targets: Editors/writers, graphic artists, computer specialists, event planners/fundraisers, and language translators/interpreters working in the business target markets listed above, as well as any applicants with unusual skills and talents.

4.2 Service Business Analysis

These charts demonstrate the types of workers employed, the type of qualified professionals on file to work for the company, and the types of businesses who have used AAP’s services. These statistics cover the 15-month sole proprietorship period from July 1, 1998 through September 30, 1999.

Types of workers employed by or signed up with AAP

Types of employers using AAP

Each and every contact is entered into the database-either in the professionals file if they are a potential candidate, or in the contacts file if they are another type of contact. The client and jobs files utilize the contact and client numbers to automatically fill in the information from the contact or client files. This means no duplicate typing. In addition, the contacts, clients, and professional files all have follow-up sheets attached making daily follow-up easy. Simply pull the file up for that day and all calls that need to be made that day will be marked.

Searching is easy. The check boxes within each professionals file allows us to check for singular or multiple skills and experience with a click and a return.

4.2.1 Competition and Buying Patterns

First form filled out from the moment the candidate calls. Three screens constitute one file: Personal Information; Job Information; Skills. The professional and contact files have a conversation record that will allow easy follow-up with a list daily of those records needing a call.

Interview Form

Directly from the employee forms the Employment Specialist can select the appropriate interview form. This form consists of three sheets: Basic Questions; Other Information/Recommendations; and Reference Checks.

Employee Profile Sheet

From the above information, a profile sheet is generated in hard copy for the inside of each file. This is our second backup system (besides the tape drive) in case of a power outage, etc.

4.2.2 Contact Sheet

This form is used for all other contacts. From here, a contact can be turned into a client by merely typing the contact number in on the client sheet, automatically bringing in all of the information.

4.2.3 Client Sheet

The client sheet is easily created by filling in the contact number. All pertinent information is automatically entered. The client sheet has its own contact sheet attached generating a daily follow-up list. The client files can also be pulled into a handy contact list.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

AAP is completely service minded, customizing personnel packages and offering the most it can to both employers and employees. The company brokers professional workers to Willamette Valley businesses. Because we serve two distinct groups of people, both businesses and employees will be considered equally important to AAP.

The company consists of five divisions, targeting the following types of workers and needs in businesses:

Computer Division

• Computer Application Specialists
• Computer Hardware Specialists
• Computer Programmers
• Network Administrators
• Web Specialists

Editor/Writers

• Multi-lingual
• PR/Marketing
• Fundraisers
• Large and Small

Language Interpreters and Translators

• Multiple Languages
• Person-to-Person

Within these categories, we originally set up a system of single sheets on card stock and filed them in binders. Since then, an electronic database has been created by one of our professionals. With the push of a button, AAP can search for a client or an employee needed.

Businesses and employees will be able to communicate with AAP via both new technological and traditional methods. Our Web page provides information about AAP including what professional fields we serve, what clients we are working with, and what services we offer. A second-generation Web page will provide information about employees for businesses through a password-protected area. AAP forwards candidates’ resumes and other information through a variety of methods: phone, fax, personal visit, mail, and the Web page.

In August 1999 we moved the offices to the center of town. Accounting is handled electronically by the proprietor through QuickBooks, with the complex needs handled by our CPA. All payroll is generated through the payroll service, Paychex. The office is furnished with all of the technology needed to operate on a daily basis, increase market share, and serve clients.

5.1 Competitive Edge

When a business is contacted and expresses interest in contingent employees that the company can provide, the following procedures will be followed:

• Consult with client and create a follow-up plan.
• Complete the contact, client, and job sheet in the database.
• Print one of each and forward a copy of the job sheet on yellow paper to the employment specialist.
• File original sheets in the appropriate binders.
• Search for matches in the database and pull each folder that looks like it will work.
• Review that folder to assure a match.
• Call each potential candidate and discuss the job and pay to its fullest.
• Fax, e-mail, or otherwise contact client with information and/or resumes for review.
• Schedule interviews or make a decision on appropriate candidates.

5.2 Sales Strategy

When an employee seeks to work with the company, the following procedures will be followed:

• Complete the professional’s form in the database.
• While completing this sheet, screen the employee for experience levels, requiring professional experience in each arena they wish to work.
• Set up an interview with the employment specialist if the professional is qualified.
• Create a file for each employee and place all paperwork, along with a copy of the professional’s form.
• Keep in touch with the professional quarterly if nothing comes up, more often if at all possible.
• When the professional agrees to a position, they will be supplied with an employee policy manual, pieces of letterhead for invoicing, and will complete the IRS I-9 and W-4 forms prior to beginning work.

5.2.1 Sales Forecast

Our sales forecast projections are presented in the chart and table below. Three years annual projections are shown in the table.  The chart shows first year monthly forecast.  First year monthly table is included in the appendix.

5.2.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

The pay rate data will be determined by changing market factors including business demand.

Our experience shows that the following is true in regards to pay and bill rates. A “good deal” for most temporary agencies is a 50% of pay rate markup. Thus, if the pay is $10, the bill is $15. However, we have traditionally used a flat markup that seemed appropriate. Pay and bill rates generally are outlined as follows:

Editors Most editors require between $25 and $35 per hour, and our history has shown a $10 per hour markup is acceptable. One exception is in the technical arena, garnering between $45 and $55 per hour pay; again a $10 per hour markup is typical.

Writers The only writing we have done is creative for [client name omitted], and we paid $15 with a $10 markup.

Event Planners Event planners often will work for between $12.50 and $25 per hour, depending on the length of the job, requirements, and experience needed. We find a $5 per hour markup on the $12.50-$17.50 is reasonable, and a $10 per hour markup on anything over $17.50 per hour.

Fundraisers Fundraisers can start at $10 per hour (nonprofit) and go up to $20 per hour. This usually depends on client and length of assignment. Bill rate markup for nonprofits is $5 per hour, others between $7.50 and $10 per hour.

Graphic Artists Entry level beginning at $12.50 per hour, intermediate at $15 per hour, and a top of the line professional at $25 per hour. The exception may run about $50 per hour. Bill rates are between $7.50 per hour markup ($12.50-$15), and $10 markup.

Language Interpreters This is a tricky arena. Pricing depends on the language (typical/atypical) and the length of the assignment. Interpreters have been known to work for as little as $15 per hour and for as much as $35 per hour. A $10 per hour markup is acceptable.

Language Translators This division is difficult as each language and situation varies slightly. Translators tend to work by page or by word. Technical translation can be as much as $.30 per word. Other translation can be $10 per hour (an hour a page). We are unsure of markup at this time, but would suggest 50% of pay rate.

Computer Specialists:

• Application-Starting at $12.50 an hour based on Xerox experience. Markup $5 per hour.
• Programmer-Starting at $20 an hour based on AlbertIQ experience. Markup $10 per hour at a minimum. Try for $15.
• Web Designer-Entry level positions can start at $10 per hour with a markup of $5. Project work typically starts at $15 an hour, markup at least $10 per hour.
• Administration-Pay rates range between $50 and $75 per hour, with a preferred markup of $25 per hour.

When determining the bill rate, additional expense factors to remember above the pay rate are 15% employer taxes, advertising, and staff time to fill the position.

5.3 Milestones

The company has an outstanding client list and an incredible number of qualified employees available. AAP has a good reputation for providing qualified people in a timely manner.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

In a variety of settings the proprietor of AAP has strong management experience. The proprietor has the skills to not only listen well, drawing out a person’s needs through open-ended questions, but also has the ability to recognize people’s strengths and weaknesses. She will draw upon this extensive successful experience in addition to the knowledge collected over a period of 18 years working professionally. Much of the “people” skills have been developed during the seven years spent in management roles. This experience, along with a varied background, supports AAP’s goals.

AAP’s objectives are threefold:

• To provide high quality, experienced, professional workers to businesses that are currently relying on the instability of word-of-mouth contacts, and are spending much of their time and resources (and, therefore, money) locating such workers;
• To provide these workers with a path by which to reach the employer without spending their own time, money, and energy finding the work; and
• To use this opportunity to make the contingent work force a better place for both the employer and the employee.

The long-term goal of the company is to franchise and/or to become multi-location, and eventually sell this business.

Management is a style, a belief, and a strategy.

In managing our clients, AAP will communicate regularly with them, setting up a schedule that meets their needs. The company will set goals for retention of clientele and strive to reach those goals by building relationships, listening to the client’s needs, and meeting those needs with a smile on our faces. We will take responsibility for our errors and the outcome.

In managing our workers, AAP will communicate regularly with them, providing them with an employee manual to minimize their confusion, and offer them the best pay and benefits possible. AAP will set goals for retention of employees and strive to reach those goals by treating each employee with respect, provide protection when appropriate, and do everything within our power to assure a healthy working environment.

This is a relationship business. AAP will manage all clients and employees through relationship building.

During 1998-99 the proprietor provided all services. In 2000 the company will add a part-time office staffer and an employment specialist. In response to this growth, we will have a procedures manual for in-house staff assuring that the information is clear. In addition, we will provide employees with regular training within the divisions to assure they understand the details of the work they are doing daily. 2001 projections include a receptionist, another employment specialist, and a field representative. In 2002 AAP will examine the feasibility of opening a branch office in the Salem, Bend, or Medford/Ashland areas.

6.1 Payroll

All About People runs its payroll twice a month. Each professional will be given a check schedule when they work with AAP. Each check covers the previous two weeks.

In order to process payroll; AAP must receive a professional’s signed invoice the Wednesday prior to payday. The invoice, must be on AAP letterhead and include: name, social security number, mailing address, dates of work completed, location worked (at home, at the client’s office), one or two sentences describing what tasks were completed, and how much time was spent each day. At the bottom there must be a place for the client to sign and date in acceptance of the work to date. The original will be submitted to AAP, the client will receive one copy, and the professional will keep a copy.

AAP is unable to provide payroll advances. If a check is lost in the mail, we must wait seven days from the date of mailing, and then if the check has not arrived we will stop the check at the bank and have one reissued.

6.2 Benefits

Because we value our employees, we have employee group health insurance available, and contribute a major portion of the monthly premium. According to the Insurance Pool Governing Board (IPGB) employees must work at least 17.5 hours per week. Employees who work intermittently or who have worked fewer than 90 calendar days are not eligible. IPGB also states that all carriers may decline to offer coverage to the business or to any employee.

Technically, All About People is employer of the professionals we place. This means that we are responsible for covering the worker’s compensation insurance, running payroll, and that we are the ones to whom each employee is responsible. We understand that this can be tricky when employee professionals are working with a client, so we want to describe the expectations of this relationship:

• If the professional doesn’t understand the work or assignment that has been given by the client, then discuss the work with the client.
• If there are issues at work, the employee should inform AAP and then speak with the client.
• If these issues continue, the employee should talk with AAP immediately.
• If the professional feels they are being harassed at work they should let AAP know immediately.
• If the employee should be being asked to perform tasks other than the original assignment, the employee should talk with AAP before beginning any tasks other than the original assignment.
• If the professional is being asked to work overtime (more than 40 hours per week), they should let us know immediately.

AAP does not guarantee either work or wages when you join us to become an AAP employee. We will, of course, strive to keep you as busy as possible. AAP is also not able to guarantee an hourly wage prior to the assignment beginning. If you work on a job, and complete the work successfully, you will be paid at the agreed rate.

This employment relationship differs from others because you, AAP, or the client may end your employment with or without notice and with or without reasons. However, if you accept a job with AAP, we do expect you to finish the assignment.

Marketing Strategy

AAP’s target market is both businesses and professional workers. Phase one of the marketing plan will target the University of Oregon, the technology industry, and the top 500 businesses in Eugene through networking and cold calling. Phase two will target small businesses with less than five employees because smaller businesses may not have the in-house capability to locate, evaluate, and hire potential professional contingent workers through a small PR campaign.

7.1 Businesses

We began marketing the businesses through several personnel surveys. The University of Oregon Alumni Association, University of Oregon Foundation, and University of Oregon Human Resources Department, as well as Symantec’s Human Resources director were approached for information regarding their need for professional temporary and permanent workers. These initial interviewees have all (with the exception of U of O HR Dept) become clients within the first year of business. After these personnel surveys were complete, we adjusted our recruitment of professional workers to meet the demand.

Another tactic was joining multiple business groups. AAP became a member of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce and attends the weekly greeters meetings; the Women’s Business Network and attends the monthly meetings; the Professional Women’s Organization and attend the monthly meetings; as well as the City Club, keeping a pulse on what is happening in the community, attending as the proprietor sees fit.

The next approach is face-to-face cold calls. The tools for these calls are simple-a business card and a brochure. The information collected during the cold call is vital: how many employees does the business have; in what areas have they experienced a need for professional contingent employees; and who is the appropriate contact.

7.2 Professional Workers

Our beginning point in marketing to workers was approximately 30 personnel surveys to professional contingent workers, building the foundation of our database.  AAP intends to recruit workers through advertising in the newspaper and appropriate trade magazines, trade shows, the University of Oregon career center, and by referral. We have found that each division within the company requires a different approach for recruitment. We try not to depend on newspaper advertising as we find the results are moderate. Results are far better with the employment department for some areas, with the U of O for others, and also through a series of developed contacts for the other divisions.

7.2.1 Trust

In order to build trust with both businesses and employees AAP will follow through as promised. We will treat each business, employee, and ourselves, with integrity. AAP will communicate clearly, asking businesses to specify the needs for follow-up service during the time that they employ our contingent worker. We will work with employees to assure that they have a clear understanding of what AAP offers and what we expect of them.

7.3 Supporting Research

“A fading model of employment in the United States envisions a business enterprise with full-time employees who can expect to keep their jobs and perhaps advance so long as they perform satisfactorily and the business continues. Changing labor market conditions threaten the concept of full-time permanent employment. As reported by the Conference Board in September 1995, contingent workers account for at least 10 percent of the workforce at 21 percent of the companies surveyed, or almost double the 12 percent of respondents with that number in 1990. Writing in the Monthly Labor Review in March 1989, Belous estimated that contingent workers constitutes 24 to 29 percent of the labor force in the United States. In August 1995, however, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated the size of the contingent labor force at 2 to 5 percent of the total workforce. However, BLS did not count long-term part-time employees, who constitute 90 percent of part-time workers.”       — Society for Human Resource Management, The Contingent Worker: A Human Resource Perspective, by W. Gilmore McKie & Laurence Lipset taken from Chapter 1, What Is a Contingent Worker?

AAP is a service company providing businesses with customized personnel solutions by connecting them with the professional contingent work force. Research suggests that 2000 is an opportune time to be in the Eugene market with this service. Even with all of the evidence that contingent work is the wave of the present, and of the future, the niche of placing contingent workers who are paid $12.50 to $40 per hour is untapped in the Eugene area. However, a few companies place high-end contingent workers in the Portland area.

There are many reasons why businesses are turning to contingent workers. The Economic Policy Institute’s article “ Contingent Work ” by Polly Callaghan and Heidi Harmann explains that:

“Growth in involuntary part-time employment is causing total part-time employment to grow faster than total employment. Another indication of the shift toward part-time workers: hours for part-time workers are growing faster than hours for full-time workers. Temporary employment has grown three times faster than overall employment and temporary workers are being used for more hours. Contingent employment is growing faster than overall employment. Part-timers are disproportionately women, younger, or older workers. There has been a shift away from manufacturing toward trade and services. These structural changes help explain the growth in part-time employment.”

Because of the changing nature of jobs themselves, AAP’s services are desirable to employers of all sizes. Unlike five or ten years ago, many positions are so diversified, or specialized, that it is not financially feasible for an employer to hire a person to fill one position, requiring several areas of expertise. This is not financially wise for the business because of the pay range required to recruit and hire such a talented person (especially in areas such as graphics, design, etc.). The cost of payroll, taxes, benefits, and other miscellaneous staff required to run employees add to the burden of a downsized staff. Contacting AAP and using a professional contingent worker for each portion of a position as needed will solve this dilemma. Currently most businesses locate needed “qualified” workers by word of mouth. With one phone call, e-mail, or connection with our Web page, AAP makes the task easy.

In addition, Oregon’s economy is expected to continue growing, and employment, total personal and per capita income, and population growth rates are expected to exceed the national average (according to the 1997-98 Oregon Blue Book). Although Oregon’s economy is among the best there is an obvious group of contingent workers available to build an employee labor pool. The company draws from a labor pool of qualified contingent workers which consists of people who work at home, retirees, others who wish to work part-time. According to the Oregon University System, approximately 33% of bachelor’s degree graduates will be unable to find jobs in Oregon each year. So, recent college graduates are also a part of AAP’s labor pool.

Research shows that a large percentage of workers who tend to work more than one job are well-educated individuals who have a higher degree of education. According to Oregon Employment Department’s Occupational Outlook Quarterly , Spring 1997, 9.4% have Ph.D.’s; 6.5% a Professional degree; 9.1% a Master’s degree; 7.9% a Bachelor’s degree; 7.9% an Associate degree; and the remaining 15.8% lesser education. According to a Personnel Journal article “ Contingent Staffing Requires Serious Strategy ,” April 1995, there are also many retirees that enjoy doing contingent work.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

The following sections contain the financial information for All About People. Tables show annual projections for three years. Charts show first year monthly figures.  First year monthly tables are included in the appendix.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The financials of this plan are predicated on the following table of assumptions.

8.2 Projected Profit and Loss

Profit and Loss figures are projected in this table.

8.3 Projected Cash Flow

Our cash flow estimates are shown in the chart and table below. The owner expects to invest further amounts in the business over the next two years to finance continued growth.

8.4 Projected Balance Sheet

Three year annual balance sheets estimates appear below.

8.5 Business Ratios

The table below presents important business ratios from the help supply services industry, as determined by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) Index code 7363, Help Supply Services.

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Launching a recruitment agency demands a solid foundation, and crafting a detailed business plan is the cornerstone. Get started on your recruitment agency business plan with our guide. We will walk you through all the details.

The United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom dominated the recruitment and staffing industry in 2022, generating 55% of its revenue. Global revenue for the staffing industry jumped 4% to $648 billion, according to a report from Staffing Industry Analysts . The current job market, characterized by rapid technological advancements and shifting workforce demographics, is creating a market for flexible staffing solutions.

To cut costs and improve the efficiency of human resources, businesses are turning to staffing and recruitment agencies to secure talent. The rise of the gig economy and the preference for contract or temporary positions among workers seeking greater work-life balance is helping fuel the industry’s growth. Nearly 23% of working Americans also have a side hustle, according to a recent study by Pymnts .

Your Business Plan’s Key Elements

Whether you are a seasoned professional in the staffing world or a newcomer to the field, you need to start with a recruitment agency business plan. Creating a business plan requires gathering a significant amount of information. Start by researching the staffing industry, including market size, growth trends, and regulatory considerations. Network with industry professionals, attend relevant conferences, and utilize online resources to gain knowledge. Financial projections should be based on realistic market assumptions and comparable business models.

Keep in mind you will need a business plan at various stages of your business journey. Initially, it will guide your startup phase, helping you to secure funding and establish your business structure. As your agency grows, revisiting your plan can help you to scale your operations and enter new markets.

A comprehensive startup business plan for a recruitment agency should include:

• Executive summary: Start with a clear and concise overview of your business — your elevator pitch. Highlight your business goals, mission statement, and the services you plan to offer.
• Market analysis: Conduct thorough research on the staffing industry, focusing on your niche. Identify your target market, analyze your competitors, and outline the trends and challenges in the industry to understand your unique selling proposition.
• Services: Detail the types of staffing services you plan to provide. Whether it is temporary staffing, permanent placement, or executive search, be clear about your offerings, the verticals you will serve, and how they meet the needs of your target market.
• Marketing plan: Outline how you will attract clients and candidates with your marketing plan and sales strategy. Identify the channels you can use to build your brand and reach your audience.
• Operations: Describe the day-to-day operations of your agency, including the recruitment process, the technology, the tools you need, and how you plan to maintain quality and compliance.
• Financial plan: Make detailed financial projections, such as startup costs, revenue forecasts, and a break-even analysis to understand the financial viability of your business.
• Management: Highlight your team’s expertise and the organizational structure of your agency. If you start solo, outline your experience and any external support you can leverage.

Partnering With AtWork: A Shorter Path to Your Goal

If you are considering opening a recruitment agency, partnering with AtWork to start a staffing franchise can significantly streamline the startup process. By joining forces with a proven brand, you can cut down on startup costs and bypass many of the hurdles of starting from scratch. AtWork’s recruitment agency business plan also allows you to take advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to lower your operational costs.

AtWork provides comprehensive knowledge, training, and tools essential for launching your staffing business. As a franchise owner, you get in-depth training on running a successful staffing agency, including sales, operations, and compliance. AtWork has state-of-the-art technology and operational tools to simplify day-to-day management, and marketing campaigns to effectively promote your agency and attract clients and candidates. Its support staff also handles all your payroll, allowing you to concentrate on scaling the business.

Learn More About AtWork

Get started to learn more about partnering with AtWork to launch a business in the staffing industry.

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What Is a Business Plan?

Understanding business plans, how to write a business plan, common elements of a business plan, how often should a business plan be updated, the bottom line, business plan: what it is, what's included, and how to write one.

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

A business plan is a document that details a company's goals and how it intends to achieve them. Business plans can be of benefit to both startups and well-established companies. For startups, a business plan can be essential for winning over potential lenders and investors. Established businesses can find one useful for staying on track and not losing sight of their goals. This article explains what an effective business plan needs to include and how to write one.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan is a document describing a company's business activities and how it plans to achieve its goals.
• Startup companies use business plans to get off the ground and attract outside investors.
• For established companies, a business plan can help keep the executive team focused on and working toward the company's short- and long-term objectives.
• There is no single format that a business plan must follow, but there are certain key elements that most companies will want to include.

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

Any new business should have a business plan in place prior to beginning operations. In fact, banks and venture capital firms often want to see a business plan before they'll consider making a loan or providing capital to new businesses.

Even if a business isn't looking to raise additional money, a business plan can help it focus on its goals. A 2017 Harvard Business Review article reported that, "Entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than the otherwise identical nonplanning entrepreneurs."

Ideally, a business plan should be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect any goals that have been achieved or that may have changed. An established business that has decided to move in a new direction might create an entirely new business plan for itself.

There are numerous benefits to creating (and sticking to) a well-conceived business plan. These include being able to think through ideas before investing too much money in them and highlighting any potential obstacles to success. A company might also share its business plan with trusted outsiders to get their objective feedback. In addition, a business plan can help keep a company's executive team on the same page about strategic action items and priorities.

Business plans, even among competitors in the same industry, are rarely identical. However, they often have some of the same basic elements, as we describe below.

While it's a good idea to provide as much detail as necessary, it's also important that a business plan be concise enough to hold a reader's attention to the end.

While there are any number of templates that you can use to write a business plan, it's best to try to avoid producing a generic-looking one. Let your plan reflect the unique personality of your business.

Many business plans use some combination of the sections below, with varying levels of detail, depending on the company.

The length of a business plan can vary greatly from business to business. Regardless, it's best to fit the basic information into a 15- to 25-page document. Other crucial elements that take up a lot of space—such as applications for patents—can be referenced in the main document and attached as appendices.

These are some of the most common elements in many business plans:

• Executive summary: This section introduces the company and includes its mission statement along with relevant information about the company's leadership, employees, operations, and locations.
• Products and services: Here, the company should describe the products and services it offers or plans to introduce. That might include details on pricing, product lifespan, and unique benefits to the consumer. Other factors that could go into this section include production and manufacturing processes, any relevant patents the company may have, as well as proprietary technology . Information about research and development (R&D) can also be included here.
• Market analysis: A company needs to have a good handle on the current state of its industry and the existing competition. This section should explain where the company fits in, what types of customers it plans to target, and how easy or difficult it may be to take market share from incumbents.
• Marketing strategy: This section can describe how the company plans to attract and keep customers, including any anticipated advertising and marketing campaigns. It should also describe the distribution channel or channels it will use to get its products or services to consumers.
• Financial plans and projections: Established businesses can include financial statements, balance sheets, and other relevant financial information. New businesses can provide financial targets and estimates for the first few years. Your plan might also include any funding requests you're making.

The best business plans aren't generic ones created from easily accessed templates. A company should aim to entice readers with a plan that demonstrates its uniqueness and potential for success.

2 Types of Business Plans

Business plans can take many forms, but they are sometimes divided into two basic categories: traditional and lean startup. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , the traditional business plan is the more common of the two.

• Traditional business plans : These plans tend to be much longer than lean startup plans and contain considerably more detail. As a result they require more work on the part of the business, but they can also be more persuasive (and reassuring) to potential investors.
• Lean startup business plans : These use an abbreviated structure that highlights key elements. These business plans are short—as short as one page—and provide only the most basic detail. If a company wants to use this kind of plan, it should be prepared to provide more detail if an investor or a lender requests it.

Why Do Business Plans Fail?

A business plan is not a surefire recipe for success. The plan may have been unrealistic in its assumptions and projections to begin with. Markets and the overall economy might change in ways that couldn't have been foreseen. A competitor might introduce a revolutionary new product or service. All of this calls for building some flexibility into your plan, so you can pivot to a new course if needed.

How frequently a business plan needs to be revised will depend on the nature of the business. A well-established business might want to review its plan once a year and make changes if necessary. A new or fast-growing business in a fiercely competitive market might want to revise it more often, such as quarterly.

What Does a Lean Startup Business Plan Include?

The lean startup business plan is an option when a company prefers to give a quick explanation of its business. For example, a brand-new company may feel that it doesn't have a lot of information to provide yet.

Sections can include: a value proposition ; the company's major activities and advantages; resources such as staff, intellectual property, and capital; a list of partnerships; customer segments; and revenue sources.

A business plan can be useful to companies of all kinds. But as a company grows and the world around it changes, so too should its business plan. So don't think of your business plan as carved in granite but as a living document designed to evolve with your business.

Harvard Business Review. " Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed ."

U.S. Small Business Administration. " Write Your Business Plan ."

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Staffing Agency Business Plan

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, businesses are looking for innovative ways to attract and retain top talent. It is where your staffing agency will become profitable.

Are you looking to start writing a business plan for your staffing company? Creating a business plan is essential to starting, growing, and securing funding for your business. We have prepared a staffing agency business plan template for you to help in start writing yours.

Free Staffing Agency Business Plan Template

Download our free business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
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How To Write A Staffing Agency Business Plan?

Writing a staffing agency business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section of the business plan intended to provide an overview of the whole business plan. Generally, it is written after the whole business plan is ready. Here are some components to add to your summary:

Start with a brief introduction:

Market opportunity:, mention your services:, management team:, financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure you keep your executive summary concise and clear, use simple language, and avoid jargon..

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2. Business Overview

Depending on what details of your business are important, you’ll need different elements in your business overview, But there are some foundational elements like business name, legal structure, location, history, and mission statement that every business overview should include:

About the business:

Provide all the basic information about your business in this section like:

• The name of the staffing agency and the type of agency you want for example are you writing it for a nurse staffing agency, medical staffing agency or any direct hiring firm.
• Company structure of your staffing agency whether it is LLC, partnership firm, or some other.
• Location of your staffing company and the reason why you selected that place.

Mission statement:

Business history:, future goals:.

This section should provide an in-depth understanding of your recruitment business. Also, the business overview section should be engaging and precise.

3. Market Analysis

Market analysis provides a clear understanding of the market in which your business will run along with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. Your market analysis should contain the following essential components:

Target market:

Market size and growth potential:, competitive analysis:, market trends:, regulatory environment:.

Some additional tips for writing the market analysis section of your Recruitment agency business plan:

• Use a variety of sources to gather data, including industry reports, market research studies, and surveys.
• Be specific and provide detailed information wherever possible.
• Include charts and graphs to help illustrate your key points.
• Keep your target audience in mind while writing the business plan

4. Products And Services

The product and services section of a staffing company business plan should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

List the services:

• Create a list of the services that your staffing agency will offer, which may include all the services for example, will the agency offer temporary staffing, temp-to-perm staffing, direct hire placement, or a combination of these services?
• Describe each service: For each service, provide a detailed description of what it entails, the time required, and the qualifications of the professionals who will provide the service. For instance, do you need a full-time HR or some other personnel specific for interviews?

Screening and Placement Process:

Overall, the product and services section of a recruitment firm business plan should be detailed, informative, and customer-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key points to include in your marketing plan:

The partnership is a blessing:

Have a competitive fee structure:, marketing strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, the sales and marketing strategies section of your business plan should outline your plans to attract and retain customers and generate revenue. Be specific, realistic, and data-driven in your approach, and be prepared to adjust your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

When writing the operations plan section, it’s important to consider the various aspects of your business operations. Here are the components to include in an operations plan:

Hiring plan:

Operational process:, client management:.

By including these key elements in your operations plan section, you can create a comprehensive plan that outlines how you will run your staffing business.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of the individuals responsible for running the staffing agency. This section should provide a detailed description of the experience and qualifications of each manager, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Key managers:

Organizational structure:, compensation plan:, board of advisors:.

Describe the key personnel of your company and highlight why your business has the fittest team.

8. Financial Plan

When writing the financial plan section of a business plan , it’s important to provide a comprehensive overview of your financial projections for the first few years of your business.

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:, financing needs:.

Remember to be realistic with your financial projections, and to provide supporting evidence for all of your estimates.

9. Appendix

When writing the appendix section, you should include any additional information that supports the main content of your plan. This may include financial statements, market research data, legal documents, and other relevant information.

• Include a table of contents for the appendix section to make it easy for readers to find specific information.
• Include financial statements such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. These should be up-to-date and show your financial projections for at least the first three years of your business.
• Provide market research data, such as statistics on the size of the staffing industry, consumer demographics, and trends in the industry.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Provide any additional documentation related to your business plans, such as marketing materials, product brochures, and operational procedures.
• Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the information they need.

Remember, the appendix section of your employment agency business should only include relevant and important information that supports the main content of your plan.

Download a sample staffing agency business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go; download our free staffing agency business plan pdf to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your staffing agency business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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This staffing agency business plan sample will provide an idea for writing a successful staffing agency business plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you are still confused about how to write an investment-ready staffing business plan to impress your audience, then download our staffing agency business plan pdf.

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a staffing agency business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful recruitment business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your staffing agency.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your agency.

How to get funding for your staffing agency business plan?

There are several ways to get funding for your staffing business, but one of the most efficient and speedy funding options is self-funding. Other options for funding are

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria first before you can apply for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your staffing agency, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought options for startups.
• Venture capital – Venture capitalists will invest in your business in exchange for a percentage of shares, so this funding option is also viable.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your staffing agency business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and idea better than you, so we recommend you write your employment agency business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind

What is the easiest way to write your staffing agency business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any staffing agency business example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Interviewing – how to write a business plan for a future employer

Simon Roderick February 18, 2020 Jobseeking and interview process , Resources for candidates

At some point in your career you will probably be asked to complete a business plan, as part of a recruitment process. Candidates are often surprised, or worried that their good ideas will be implemented without them being hired (this doesn’t happen in my experience). However, they can cause alarm, as some people are good at their job, which doesn’t involve writing plans, and if the task is expected to be delivered in person it can cause some people to get very stressed. So below we’ve tried to outline so practical steps you can take, as there’s no need to miss out on a dream job just because you don’t know where to start with a business plan.

• Ask the hirer what they expect Firms are happy to give guidelines and so ask them what format they prefer and the how long they expect the business plan to be. Will you be presenting the plan, will you be expected to leave it behind, or most likely is it just a discussion document? Feel free to ask what IT support will be provided if you’re expected to give a powerpoint presentation.
• Make the presentation visually attractive You need to engage the reader
• Spell check It’s so easy to forget to spell check your plan
• Ask someone you trust to review your business plan, or ask them if they would mind you running through your presentation
• Arrive early so you aren’t stressed Aim to arrive 30 minutes early and have a coffee nearby, but don’t go to the interviewer’s office until 10 minutes before. Arriving very early can sometimes be as irritating as someone who arrives late.

What should a business plan contain?

Everyone has their own thoughts on this, but some of the better business plans contain:

i. An executive summary – this summarises the applicant’s experience, career aims, and business aims if hired An example of this would be: “Simon has 20 years recruitment experience, much of it gained in management roles. His aim is to grow Fram over the next 3 years to xxx (you need to be realistic and specific with this aim)

ii. A description of the business you want to create, i.e. clients to be targeted and services offered with a target revenue

iii. A guide to how you plan to build this business, i.e. from your existing client base, from introductions from professional intermediaries, from the firm’s own sources of new business (this is often a client’s least favourite thing to see in the current climate).

iv. A guide to the activities required to achieve the above, i.e. not only what intermediaries you will target and how many relationships you have etc, but how many cold calls and appointments you will make. How often you will need to meet a client on average to get them to invest

v. Why the firm you are interviewing with could help you achieve this. What are the key selling points and differentiators.

vi. What support you will need. Will you need an assistant, additional training, or access to cold calling support?

vii. Financials – a breakdown of year 1, 2, and 3 revenues and the business mix, i.e. investments vs. lending if you are a private banker

viii. Referees – you list former colleagues etc, but only do this if you’re happy for them to be contacted. It demonstrates confidence and transparency

ix. Summary – reaffirming the skills of the candidate

We recommend sending a polite email after the meeting if the interviewer has given you their contacts details. It’s always nice to thank them for your time and it’s a chance to reaffirm your interest (if you are indeed interested in the role).

If you’re successful in the interview process, firms will expect you to implement the plan and so it needs to be realistic. It’s a nightmare for all parties concerned when someone over promises and under delivers. Whilst the firm will refine your plan once you have full knowledge of their aims and offering, it can often form the basis of your first 12 months.

Good luck and if we can assist, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01525 864 372.

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Writing a successful business plan

All successful businesses start with a strong business plan. Also known as a business proposal, this document helps attract investors and customers alike by demonstrating your knowledge, passion and drive

Writing a business plan is essential when  starting your own business , but what is a business plan and why do you need one? Well, a business plan describes your company, what it aims to achieve and outlines how it'll achieve it. It helps you to clarify your ideas, identify potential problems with your business model, establish short and long-term goals and, over time, measure your company's progress.

A business plan is vital if you're looking to secure investment, but it can also convince customers and suppliers to support you. You should update your business plan regularly, tailoring it to its intended reader as you would a CV and cover letter. Here's a suggested business plan template to get you started.

Executive summary

After the title page - which includes the name and business address of the author, the date of publication, and details of the plan's circulation and level of confidentiality - you'll present your executive summary. Bear in mind that this is the last section of the business plan you'll write, because its job is to grab the reader's attention by summarising what will follow.

Over three to four pages, briefly highlight the key purpose of your business plan and summarise the capital requirements, financial projections, and management structure of your company. You should also provide details of your competitors.

When writing a business plan, your focus throughout should be on highlighting how your product or service takes advantage of a significant market opportunity.

The business

Begin this section by addressing your company's products and services, before going into greater detail about its aims and objectives. Expand on the history of your business and explain its ownership structure. You should also mention what  type of business  it is.

An overview and outlook of the industry should be included, covering details of any relevant regulations and specific markets of interest. However, this information will be expanded on in the market analysis section, so keep it brief.

Finally, address how your business can be developed to meet future needs or changes, and admit any weaknesses that it may have. Being open in this manner will inspire confidence.

Market analysis

Essentially a condensed marketing plan, this section focuses on several factors:

• Market research  - It's vital to know that you've got a group of buyers for your product or service. Become familiar with the market and  job sector  as a whole, so the company can be positioned appropriately in terms of price and quality.
• Target audience  - Discuss which market segments you're aiming to pursue, such as local customers or those of a particular age group. Indicate the key characteristics of your typical buyers.
• Competitors  - Summarise your competitors' strengths and weaknesses and consider how you can prevent others from entering your market space.
• Existing customers and sales  - Mention any customers that you've already lined up and address how you'll sell, whether it's over the phone, on your website, face-to-face or through an agent. In addition, if you have more than one product or service, consider the contribution of each to your turnover.
• Marketing strategy and goals  - Address how you'll promote your product. This may be through means such as advertising, public relations (PR), direct mail or email. Examine likely sales, growth, profit margins and costs.

Management and operations

This section explains how your business will function. You should detail the:

• Background, experience, and training of the management team  - Highlight individuals' roles and responsibilities, plus their relevant skills and experiences. You should also mention the financial contributions, salaries and company benefits of each member.
• Capital requirements  - Discuss the company's needs in terms of equipment, facilities, insurance, and personnel, before highlighting any potential limitations to production.
• Logistics  - Detail each division and their assigned tasks, addressing how you'll cover sales, finance, marketing, administration, stock control and quality control. You should describe the systems and procedures that will be involved in all aspects of production, from the customer's initial payment through to transport and delivery, including detailed information on your suppliers.

Financial forecasts

In this section, you must translate your company's aims and objectives into measurable goals. This means providing numbers including:

• the estimated costs of starting and running your business
• how much additional finance you require, plus what it will be used for
• sales forecasts for the first year
• profit and loss forecasts for the first three years
• cash flow forecasts, showing that you've considered key variable factors such as sales revenue and wages
• your budget and pricing strategy.

Be aware that you should justify any assumptions that you've made when reaching each forecast.

Risk management

Consider any risks associated with running your business, plus any legal obligations surrounding factors such as insurance, licences, and health and safety.

You should also create detailed 'what-if scenario' backup plans, documenting how you'll react to issues that may arise. Not only will this help you to minimise risk, but you'll enhance your credibility with potential investors by showing that you've thought about your business plan from every angle.

The appendix of a business plan features copies of essential supporting documents, such as:

• credit history information
• detailed cash flow plans
• detailed CVs of the management team
• market research results
• receipts and bank statements
• tax returns.

Much of the information contained within your business plan will be highly confidential. You should therefore tailor your appendix depending on who is receiving your plan - potential investors, for example, will expect to find out more than potential affiliates.

Overall, your business plan should be clear, concise, and realistic. If it's too long, or your objectives are too ambitious, it won't be read fully or taken seriously. Keep your audience in mind, using non-technical language where possible to be more readily understood, and ensure the points you make are logical, sound and backed up with explanation or evidence.

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How to write a business plan for recruitment in 2024 (template included)

• Published on June 3, 2020
• Updated on February 12, 2024

Writing a business plan in recruitment has always played a crucial part in the interview process for a number of recruitment agencies around the world.

A comprehensive business plan can demonstrate a recruiter’s commitment, knowledge and commercial acumen. During economic uncertainties in 2023, these qualities are more important than ever.

Arriving at an interview armed with a comprehensive business plan before you’re even asked will no doubt set yourself apart from other recruiters.

During economic uncertainties, managers will need to present a business case to leadership for budget approval in order to make a hire. Your business plan will be an important element of this business case. An impressive business plan could be the difference between landing an offer today, or falling into a pipeline of other candidates.

In this article, we share a step-by-step guide outlining how to create a comprehensive business plan. We walk through the key components and include examples.

At the end of the article, you can download a free recruitment business plan template which is tailored towards the key components mentioned in this article.

A business plan should be packed full of relevant information but should be compressed and to the point. Avoid verbiage, stay specific and keep to 4 – 6 pages.

Introduction

Start with a title. Include your name and the company you’re writing the business plan for. A little personalisation will go a long way.

Underneath your title, outline the objective of your business plan and again personalise it towards the agency you’re interviewing with. While you have the hiring manager’s attention, this paragraph is an opportunity for you to demonstrate how comprehensive your business plan is. The aim is to capture the hiring manager’s interest so they continue to read each component:

“The objective of this business plan is to outline the value I can add to employer’s name.

In this business plan, I have highlighted my specialism, hiring activity in my market, my candidate and client strategies, my methodology, how I plan to recruit through economic uncertainties in 2023, my competition and my personal revenue projections over 12 months.”

You can use this paragraph as a way to introduce your business plan verbally if you’ve called up a hiring manager. You can also use this extract in a cold email.

Your specialisation

This is a crucial positioning statement for your value-add. It sets out precisely where your network and experience lies and what you intend to bring to the table in your new role.

Your specialisation can be described clearly by outlining what roles you will specialise in, what industries you will target, what level of seniority you will focus on and what geographies you will cover.

For ease of reading, you can use each component as a title and use bullet points to expand upon your answers.

Taking a Technology recruiter as an example:

What roles I will specialise in:

• Product Management permanent roles
• UX/UI Design permanent roles

What industries I will target:

• Series A – C funded technology startups (high investment, high growth and high volume of roles)

What level of seniority I will focus on:

• Mid to senior (120 – 180k salary range for Product Managers, 140 – 200k salary range for Designers)

What geographies I will cover:

• Based in Singapore, the local market will be my core market
• Secondary markets include Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur due to less competition from recruiters and high volume of roles

Hiring activity trends

The hiring activity trends section provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate and portray your knowledge of the market.

The 3 important components of this section are: hiring activity over the past 3 years, hiring activity for next year and how you predict hiring activity to shift beyond that.

Utilise your own knowledge of the market but back it up with research gained from reputable sources related to your market e.g. Tech in Asia, Tech Crunch, Channel News Asia, The Straits Times or The Financial Times.

You’ll want to cover how hiring activity has increased or decreased, what the drivers of growth are in your industry and what the threats and challenges are within your sector.

Candidate strategies

Moving on from market trends, this section indicates how you will acquire candidates for your desk. It offers an opportunity for you to demonstrate the experience you’ve learnt in candidate management from your previous firm, but also an opportunity for the employer to ensure that your approach aligns with theirs.

3 key components of this section include: how you will generate candidate leads, what challenges you expect to face and how you will overcome these challenges.

Taking a Front Office Banking & Financial Services recruiter as an example:

How do I plan to generate candidate leads:

• Direct headhunting using a LinkedIn Recruiter account, this costs approximately $X amount, the key benefits being access to a high volume of InMails and enhanced search capability. This has been the sourcing tool for 60% of my previous placements

Challenges I expect to face:

• In light of economic uncertainties in 2023, highly sought-after candidates may be risk-averse and may not see this as a good time to move jobs

How I will overcome these challenges:

• I will develop relationships with these candidates for the future but I will adjust my sourcing strategy accordingly by increasing volume of direct approaches

Client strategies

A similar section to candidate strategies but geared towards clients. Arguably more important than candidate strategies during a recession as the market could be job-short – even in the good times, strong business development capabilities in recruiters are harder to find.

This section includes 6 key components including how you plan to onboard new clients, how you plan to sustain relationships with clients for repeat business, what industries your clients are in, the challenges you expect to face and how you will overcome these challenges.

Take these bullet points as a basic example:

How I plan to onboard new clients:

• During a recession, I plan to cultivate relationships by helping and consulting clients on non-recruitment related issues, such as advising clients on the current state of the market
• I plan to generate leads by making 25 cold calls per day during the ramp-up period, to again offer support and advice where needed, and to leverage any open roles
• A soft approach of connecting with hiring managers, HR contact and C-Level candidates on LinkedIn, to establish working relationships and eventually convert into clients

How I plan to sustain relationships with current clients and win repeat roles:

• The most important way to sustain relationships is by offering a service that is superior to competitors. That is by being transparent, sticking to deadlines and delivering results
• Regularly catch up with clients on a monthly basis to see how they’re doing and see if you can generate new roles
• Keep yourself updated on company news and congratulate clients on milestones e.g. if they generate a Series C round of funding

What industries I will target clients in:

• Series A – B funded technology startups
• During a recession there is less of an appetite to use agencies due to an unprecedented volume of great candidates available in the market
• Offer free support to companies currently not using agencies, provide an impressive service and convert into paying client post-recovery

The 6th component is “examples of target clients” and this is where you can really demonstrate tangible market knowledge. Use company names, find the potential contact in each company and add your comments, such as the volume of roles you expect from that client. 5 examples should be enough to peak your hiring manager’s interest.

You can use a table to display this information with ease:

It goes without saying that you should never be tempted to use information that is proprietary to your previous employer. This information can be openly found with some basic LinkedIn research.

My methodology

Are you a recruiter that is focussed on crunching numbers? Are you a recruiter who is focussed on cultivating long-term relationships? In this section, you can include a few quick bullet points to explain how you approach recruitment. This information gives your hiring manager an indication about whether you hold similar values and whether you have similar working styles.

How you can adapt to recruiting during a possible economic downturn

This section is a new one in response to market conditions in 2023 but can demonstrate how you are prepared to deal with current and upcoming challenges.

You can use this section as the title and include bullet points to outline how you will adapt to these market conditions.

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My key competitors

Which recruiters and agencies offer the greatest competition? Demonstrating your knowledge in this area highlights that you are commercially aware outside of your core market.

Include about 5 different competitors who are directly competing in your patch. You can use the table below to display this information:

Personal revenue and target projections

In many business plans, financial projections are of utmost importance and can demonstrate your commercial acumen. If you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den, you’ll know what happens when you don’t know your numbers!

Project your personal revenue for 4 quarters. You can start your calculations by predicting the average annual salary of a candidate in your patch. You can project your average percentage fee agreed with clients and from there you can calculate your average fee. Once you have this, you can predict the amount of placements you’ll be making per month.

Make sure your revenue projections are realistic and achievable. Avoid the temptation to predict vastly optimistic revenues, especially during a possible recession. You must allow time to ramp-up and there must be a logical relationship between your historical and predicted revenues.

The plan only includes project revenue. Your historical revenue should be on your CV.

Take the below as an example:

My predicted average annual salary of candidates:

My predicted average percentage fee agreed with the client:, my predicted average fee:, my predicted average placements per month, my projected revenue over 12 months.

Underneath, you can also include the KPIs you will set yourself to guide you in achieving these numbers. For example, you can set yourself a guideline for how many CVs you need to send, how many candidate meetings you need to arrange, how many client meetings you need to arrange and so on.

The template

We’ve constructed a free template built around the components mentioned above, so you can create your own for when you reach out to hiring managers.

To download this template, please add your email below and you’ll be redirected to the template.

By downloading our busines plan, you agree to our  Privacy Policy and Notification Settings .

This step-by-step guide should give your hiring manager a clear idea of your plan. If executed successfully, you’ve already demonstrated your commitment, knowledge and commercial acumen before even attending an interview.

The way you’ve structured your plan will give your hiring manager a very clear indication of your methodology and whether you’d fit their structure. Keep in mind that if your methodology is focused on high volume recruitment, it’s not going to work well with an executive recruitment agency.

As a next step, learn this plan inside and out. Be prepared to pitch your plan to your hiring manager and answer detailed questions surrounding each component.

Leave your interviewer with no room for concern and secure that role! Lastly, if you enjoyed the article, please consider subscribing or following us on LinkedIn to have new articles for recruiters like this delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe for free

As Founder of Charterhouse Partnership, I led the opening of 5 international offices, hiring & training hundreds of recruiters. Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter where I share my insights on the recruitment industry.

More articles

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Rec2Rec salary guide Singapore 2024

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How to write a professional development plan for career success

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What’s a professional development plan?

5 benefits of professional development plans, professional development plan versus leadership development plan, how to write a professional development plan in 6 steps, 2 professional development plan examples, plan for success.

Every step up in your career happens because of your professional development.

Growing your skills, adapting to changing job markets, and narrowing your expertise are all contributors to successes like promotions and new positions. And while much of your on-the-job skill acquisition happens naturally, creating an intentional professional development plan (PDP) can help build a targeted path to your specific career goals. 

A thoughtful plan identifies where you currently stand in your career and pinpoints goals, resources, and opportunities to advance . It’s an intentional process that requires self-reflection and realistic goal-setting, but the hard work will pay off — often literally. 

A PDP is a comprehensive document outlining your skills and competencies alongside your short-term and long-term professional goals . This honest self-assessment allows you to identify what professional development is necessary to move your career forward, laying the foundation for a roadmap of realistic, actionable steps to support continuous learning.

Creating a professional life that excites and motivates you requires thoughtful reflection on your past, present, and future, and a PDP hosts that knowledge. It documents your skills and offers a space for goal-setting , giving you the tools you need to work more effectively. Here are five reasons to build your own:  

1. Establish a sense of direction

The hustle of your everyday responsibilities can sometimes make you lose focus on long-term objectives . A PDP helps you stay future-minded, providing clear goals and actionable steps that reduce the chance of languishing or drifting off your career path . 

2. Involve others in your learning

Involving your manager or supervisor in the process can catalyze valuable conversations about your development needs. Talking to them could also give you professional development ideas you wouldn’t otherwise consider. 

Your openness and interest in developing new skills, implementing SMART goals , and improving your ability to perform your current roles is a powerful signal for your organization. It shows that you’re interested in bettering yourself and the team, encouraging your employer to give you the growth opportunities you need. 

3. Improve engagement

Developing your professional abilities and tracking progress feels good. But it’s about more than a sense of pride. According to a report from Frontiers in Psychology, career growth is positively linked to job engagement , meaning a PDP can help you connect to and enjoy your job. If you’re stuck in a rut or feel like your position could be a dead-end, professional development could be just what you need for deeper job satisfaction. 

4. Anticipate roadblocks

There will always be bumps in your career journey, and you can’t foresee them all. But understanding your current skills and what you need to develop for professional growth helps you spot potential problems or gaps. You’ll build a resilient mindset through anticipation rather than sudden changes. 

5. Create urgency for growth

Big, long-term goals can feel overwhelming and leave you unsure where to begin. Through a PDP, you can write an action plan and break big objectives into small, measurable goals. Time-sensitive actions can instill you with a sense of urgency and progression, turning “someday” goals into “today” objectives. 

Both professional and leadership development plans focus on nurturing career growth , but they center on different skills and timelines. Here’s a breakdown of their biggest distinctions to help you d ecide which action plan is better for you:

• Scope: A PDP can cover a range of skill-related ambitions, from becoming a better communicator to learning hard skills. But a leadership development plan has a more narrow focus on developing leadership capabilities , like project management, emotional intelligence , or employee development strategies. 
• Skills versus behaviors: While a PDP may include a mix of hard and soft skills , a leadership development plan focuses on exclusively soft skill behaviors like effective communication , confidence , and decision-making. 
• Accountability: While you may bring a mentor or manager on board when creating a PDP, the onus to set goals and track progress will most fall on your shoulders. A leadership development plan tends to be more collaborative and may include regular feedback from superiors, coaching , and organizational benchmarks. 

Real progress takes a combination of planning and hard work. Following a step-by-step process can make creating your PDP easier. Here are six steps: 

1. Self-assessment

Developing an action plan begins with an honest self-evaluation. This isn’t a cursory glance at your resume or CV — it’s a deep dive into your skills, knowledge, and interests. 

Your self-evaluation sets the tone for the rest of your strategic planning, which means it’s important to be intentional about your goals and honest about your current strengths and weaknesses . This will help you identify what you need to improve to effectively advance in your career. 

To develop a better understanding of your current skill set, personality, or interests, consider the following activities: 

• Take a personality test like DiSC assessment or Enneagram Personality Types
• Request a performance review from your manager or ask team members for constructive feedback
• Identify your needs with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• Practice journaling or meditation techniques to get in touch with your future aspirations
• Take note of the skills you use most in your current position

2. Set goals

After evaluating your current skills and knowledge, use that information to develop clear goals. One way to do this is by choosing one large, long-term objective, like getting a promotion or switching industries, and breaking it up into smaller, more achievable pieces. 

Here’s a guide to different types of goals:

• Long-term: This is your finish line, which could take months or even years. Going back to school to complete a master’s degree or transforming a side hustle into a full-time job are good examples that require several milestones to complete. 
• Mid-term: These can take a few weeks or a couple of months to accomplish and usually represent significant changes in your professional growth. If you want to pursue a master’s degree, mid-term goals may be to create a financial plan to afford the extra cost of tuition or reorganize your work schedule with your current employer. 
• Short-term: Your short-term goals can be daily or weekly tasks. If you want to turn your side hustle into a full-time job, short-term goals could be opening an LLC, contacting your network for advice, or implementing a financial tracking system. 

While defining your goals, you can use the SMART technique to develop specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. This will help you track your progress and make sure the goals you’re setting are actually achievable. 

Ambition is a valuable characteristic, but be careful not to overload yourself. Ta king on several big, long-term objectives at once can be counterproductive, leaving you feeling overworked to the point of burnout . Instead, work toward one or two goals at a time.

3. Strategize

With your self-assessment and goals in hand, write down exactly what you need to do to improve your skills, expand your know-how, or broaden your network to reach your objective. 

During this process, write everything down you can think of, whether that’s attending a networking event , spending 30 minutes per day on a new skill, or filling out the sign-up sheet for a new seminar. Brainstorm and narrow down your ideas to the most impactful. Then you can organize your time with productivity in mind.

4. Examine opportunities for growth

Your strategies form the framework, but your resources are your building materials. This step involves writing down every tool you have access to that can help you meet your objective. Here are some development opportunities examples that can be important resources for growth: 

• Training and certification programs that broaden your knowledge
• Webinars, workshops, and other professional development activities that improve your industry knowledge or skill set
• Conferences, networking events, and collaborative projects that strengthen relationships with colleagues  
• Mentorship and coaching relationships that invest in your growth with guidance and support
• Social media platforms like LinkedIn , Instagram, or YouTube where you can connect with your target audience and promote your personal brand

5. Build a timeline

Autonomy over your professional development isn’t always a good thing. Another article from Frontiers in Psychology reports that procrastination is a common problem for tasks that require self-regulation , like personal goal-setting. 

Creating a schedule helps you stick to your objectives and stay accountable. Hard deadlines signal that your development is as important as your daily work tasks, which can help you stay on top of them. Try tying them to daily, weekly, and monthly milestones, seeking a balance between challenging yourself and being realistic about your energy . And you can also share your schedule with an accountability partner for an extra layer of support.

6. Track your progress

Schedule regular check-ins with yourself to track your progress. Remember, your professional development plan isn’t set in stone. You may find you need more time or additional resources along the way. Flexibility with your plan (and yourself) will help you improve and grow. 

Although your professional growth process is unique, you can still use templates and examples to help visualize what your PDP could look like. Here are two different examples to help you get started: 

1. Recent college graduate

Entering the job market means a whirlwind of new learning experiences and information. To lean into the professional world, try setting smaller goals that focus on your transition. Here’s what the structure of a new grad PDP could look like:

Self-assessment

• I joined the company one month ago
• I feel excited but overwhelmed
• I don't know how to make a place for myself on the team and contribute to projects
• Cultivate a professional reputation as a trustworthy and hardworking team player within three months

Resources 

• Company onboarding program
• Mentorship program
• Colleagues who may be open to sharing professional advice
• Weekly team meetings
• Internal project management tools
• Request a monthly 1:1 with my manager to understand how I can improve
• Be proactive in team meetings, offering constructive ideas
• Meet deadlines and produce high-quality work to demonstrate reliability
• Build rapport with team members with open communication and active listening
• Daily: Use the Eisenhower Matrix to stay on top of team tasks
• Weekly: Introduce myself to two team members and ask about their work
• Monthly: Attend a seminar on emotional intelligence to improve communication skills
• End of three months: Check in with supervisor to identify areas for continued growth

2. Career changes

A career change requires flexing your transferable skills and learning new ones entirely, which means there are lots of goals to set along the way. Here’s how to structure a plan focused on skill-building:

• I want to leave a job in finance and transition into data science
• I have strong analytical skills but lack specific technical skills and credentials
• Bring up my competitive edge against more experienced professionals within six months
• Online platforms, courses, and certifications
• Networking events and industry seminars
• Externship opportunities to shadow a data scientist
• Freelance or part-time opportunities in data science that can provide hands-on experience
• Learn a common coding language, like Python 
• Attend industry seminars to meet professionals that can give me insight into industry needs
• Take on one freelance project
• Within two weeks: Enroll in a coding class and join a data science group on LinkedIn
• Within one month: Attend a virtual or in-person networking event and schedule two informational interviews
• Within three months: Secure a freelance data science project
• Within six months: Complete coding class, update resume to reflect new skills, and actively look for job opportunities

A professional development plan provides more than a guide to improve your job performance. It’s a technique that helps you check in with yourself and stay in line with your interests and aspirations. The progress you make isn’t only to land a promotion, show up for your team, or develop a new skill — it’s about finding the intrinsic motivation to continuously learn. 

Invest in your career

Get your promotion. Make your career change. Build the future you dream about. And do it faster with a world-class BetterUp Coach by your side.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Takes Action to Protect American Workers and Businesses from China’s Unfair Trade   Practices

President Biden’s economic plan is supporting investments and creating good jobs in key sectors that are vital for America’s economic future and national security. China’s unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China’s unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses.   The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has already catalyzed more than $860 billion in business investments through smart, public incentives in industries of the future like electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, and semiconductors. With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, these investments are creating new American jobs in manufacturing and clean energy and helping communities that have been left behind make a comeback.   As President Biden says, American workers and businesses can outcompete anyone—as long as they have fair competition. But for too long, China’s government has used unfair, non-market practices. China’s forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care—creating unacceptable risks to America’s supply chains and economic security. Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China’s growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities.   Today’s actions to counter China’s unfair trade practices are carefully targeted at strategic sectors—the same sectors where the United States is making historic investments under President Biden to create and sustain good-paying jobs—unlike recent proposals by Congressional Republicans that would threaten jobs and raise costs across the board. The previous administration’s trade deal with China  failed  to increase American exports or boost American manufacturing as it had promised. Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created and new factory construction has doubled after both fell under the previous administration, and the trade deficit with China is the lowest in a decade—lower than any year under the last administration.   We will continue to work with our partners around the world to strengthen cooperation to address shared concerns about China’s unfair practices—rather than undermining our alliances or applying indiscriminate 10 percent tariffs that raise prices on all imports from all countries, regardless whether they are engaged in unfair trade. The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the benefits for our workers and businesses from strong alliances and a rules-based international trade system based on fair competition.   Following an in-depth review by the United States Trade Representative, President Biden is taking action to protect American workers and American companies from China’s unfair trade practices. To encourage China to eliminate its unfair trade practices regarding technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation, the President is directing increases in tariffs across strategic sectors such as steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and medical products.   Steel and Aluminum   The tariff rate on certain steel and aluminum products under Section 301 will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024.   Steel is a vital sector for the American economy, and American companies are leading the future of clean steel. Recently, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $6 billion for 33 clean manufacturing projects including for steel and aluminum, including the first new primary aluminum smelter in four decades, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments will make the United States one of the first nations in the world to convert clean hydrogen into clean steel, bolstering the U.S. steel industry’s competitiveness as the world’s cleanest major steel producer.   American workers continue to face unfair competition from China’s non-market overcapacity in steel and aluminum, which are among the world’s most carbon intensive. China’s policies and subsidies for their domestic steel and aluminum industries mean high-quality, low-emissions U.S. products are undercut by artificially low-priced Chinese alternatives produced with higher emissions. Today’s actions will shield the U.S. steel and aluminum industries from China’s unfair trade practices.   Semiconductors   The tariff rate on semiconductors will increase from 25% to 50% by 2025.   China’s policies in the legacy semiconductor sector have led to growing market share and rapid capacity expansion that risks driving out investment by market-driven firms. Over the next three to five years, China is expected to account for almost half of all new capacity coming online to manufacture certain legacy semiconductor wafers. During the pandemic, disruptions to the supply chain, including legacy chips, led to price spikes in a wide variety of products, including automobiles, consumer appliances, and medical devices, underscoring the risks of overreliance on a few markets.   Through the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden is making a nearly $53 billion investment in American semiconductor manufacturing capacity, research, innovation, and workforce. This will help counteract decades of disinvestment and offshoring that has reduced the United States’ capacity to manufacture semiconductors domestically. The CHIPS and Science Act includes $39 billion in direct incentives to build, modernize, and expand semiconductor manufacturing fabrication facilities as well as a 25% investment tax credit for semiconductor companies. Raising the tariff rate on semiconductors is an important initial step to promote the sustainability of these investments.   Electric Vehicles (EVs)   The tariff rate on electric vehicles under Section 301 will increase from 25% to 100% in 2024.   With extensive subsidies and non-market practices leading to substantial risks of overcapacity, China’s exports of EVs grew by 70% from 2022 to 2023—jeopardizing productive investments elsewhere. A 100% tariff rate on EVs will protect American manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices.   This action advances President Biden’s vision of ensuring the future of the auto industry will be made in America by American workers. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration is incentivizing the development of a robust EV market through business tax credits for manufacturing of batteries and production of critical minerals, consumer tax credits for EV adoption, smart standards, federal investments in EV charging infrastructure, and grants to supply EV and battery manufacturing. The increase in the tariff rate on electric vehicles will protect these investments and jobs from unfairly priced Chinese imports.   Batteries, Battery Components and Parts, and Critical Minerals   The tariff rate on lithium-ion EV batteries will increase from 7.5%% to 25% in 2024, while the tariff rate on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate on battery parts will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2024.   The tariff rate on natural graphite and permanent magnets will increase from zero to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate for certain other critical minerals will increase from zero to 25% in 2024.   Despite rapid and recent progress in U.S. onshoring, China currently controls over 80 percent of certain segments of the EV battery supply chain, particularly upstream nodes such as critical minerals mining, processing, and refining. Concentration of critical minerals mining and refining capacity in China leaves our supply chains vulnerable and our national security and clean energy goals at risk. In order to improve U.S. and global resiliency in these supply chains, President Biden has invested across the U.S. battery supply chain to build a sufficient domestic industrial base. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Defense Production Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested nearly $20 billion in grants and loans to expand domestic production capacity of advanced batteries and battery materials. The Inflation Reduction Act also contains manufacturing tax credits to incentivize investment in battery and battery material production in the United States. The President has also established the American Battery Materials Initiative, which will mobilize an all-of-government approach to secure a dependable, robust supply chain for batteries and their inputs.   Solar Cells   The tariff rate on solar cells (whether or not assembled into modules) will increase from 25% to 50% in 2024.   The tariff increase will protect against China’s policy-driven overcapacity that depresses prices and inhibits the development of solar capacity outside of China. China has used unfair practices to dominate upwards of 80 to 90% of certain parts of the global solar supply chain, and is trying to maintain that status quo. Chinese policies and nonmarket practices are flooding global markets with artificially cheap solar modules and panels, undermining investment in solar manufacturing outside of China.   The Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in the U.S. solar supply chain, building on early U.S. government-enabled research and development that helped create solar cell technologies. The Inflation Reduction Act provides supply-side tax incentives for solar components, including polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules, and backsheet material, as well as tax credits and grant and loan programs supporting deployment of utility-scale and residential solar energy projects. As a result of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, solar manufacturers have already announced nearly $17 billion in planned investment under his Administration—an 8-fold increase in U.S. manufacturing capacity, enough to supply panels for millions of homes each year by 2030.   Ship-to-Shore Cranes   The tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will increase from 0% to 25% in 2024.   The Administration continues to deliver for the American people by rebuilding the United States’ industrial capacity to produce port cranes with trusted partners. A 25% tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will help protect U.S. manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices that have led to excessive concentration in the market. Port cranes are essential pieces of infrastructure that enable the continuous movement and flow of critical goods to, from, and within the United States, and the Administration is taking action to mitigate risks that could disrupt American supply chains. This action also builds off of ongoing work to invest in U.S. port infrastructure through the President’s Investing in America Agenda. This port security initiative includes bringing port crane manufacturing capabilities back to the United States to support U.S. supply chain security and encourages ports across the country and around the world to use trusted vendors when sourcing cranes or other heavy equipment.   Medical Products   The tariff rates on syringes and needles will increase from 0% to 50% in 2024. For certain personal protective equipment (PPE), including certain respirators and face masks, the tariff rates will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024. Tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026.   These tariff rate increases will help support and sustain a strong domestic industrial base for medical supplies that were essential to the COVID-19 pandemic response, and continue to be used daily in every hospital across the country to deliver essential care. The federal government and the private sector have made substantial investments to build domestic manufacturing for these and other medical products to ensure American health care workers and patients have access to critical medical products when they need them. American businesses are now struggling to compete with underpriced Chinese-made supplies dumped on the market, sometimes of such poor quality that they may raise safety concerns for health care workers and patients.   Today’s announcement reflects President Biden’s commitment to always have the back of American workers. When faced with anticompetitive, unfair practices from abroad, the President will deploy any and all tools necessary to protect American workers and industry.  

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The 20 Most Stressful Jobs

How does your career compare when it comes to stress? Take a look at the most stressful jobs.

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Stressful jobs can be fulfilling because they make a difference – in people’s health, public safety or a company's bottom line. And high-stress jobs often come with high pay. Find out whether your job is among the most stressful careers, according to experts, and how it compares with other high-stress careers from U.S. News' 100 Best Jobs ranking . Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Anesthesiologist

Median salary: $239,200 Education needed: Doctoral or professional degree Expected job growth by 2032: 2.6%

Anesthesiologists are health care professionals who monitor patient health during a procedure, adjusting the amount of anesthetic to relieve pain. "The need for precision and constant vigilance, coupled with the potential for severe complications and the unpredictability of patient responses, makes this a highly stressful job," organizational psychologist Etty Burk said in an email.

Learn more about anesthesiologists .

Business Operations Manager

Median salary: $98,100 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 4.2%

Business operations managers are responsible for managing all business operations and setting organizational goals. "Their stress often stems from managing budgets and optimizing processes, all while meeting organizational goals and deadlines – often without control over external factors like the business market and employee behavior that can impact outcomes," Burk said.

Learn more about business operations managers .

Clinical Social Worker

Median salary: $60,280 Education needed: Master’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 9.6%

Clinical social workers are licensed social workers who can diagnose and treat individuals with behavioral, mental and emotional conditions.

While it can be rewarding, social work can be a stressful profession. “It used to be that jobs that had lives on the line every day, like first responders, were believed to face the most stress. While their jobs are still incredibly challenging, roles that involve supporting our communities have seen dramatic demands for their time and energy,” Kelly Roehm, career consultant and a senior certified professional by the Society of Human Resources Management, wrote in an email.

Learn more about clinical social workers .

Community Health Worker

Median salary: $46,190 Education needed: High school diploma or equivalent Expected job growth by 2032: 14.1%

Community health workers rank No. 2 among the Best Jobs Without a College Degree and No. 4 among the Best Social Services Jobs . They work with community and health professionals to promote wellness.

According to Roehm, because communities often lack adequate resources, these workers are often paid far less than other health care professionals. “Coupled with loss of funding, increasing caseloads and burnout have impacted these vital workers,” she said.

Learn more about community health workers .

Child and Family Social Worker

Median salary: $50,820 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 5.3%

Child and family social workers provide interventions and support to ensure the well-being of children and families in need. “Post-COVID, we saw rising rates of children in school struggling to keep up and parents trying to balance child care and work, which is why children's services workers are carrying a heavy load,” Roehm said.

Learn more about child and family social workers .

Median salary: $155,040 Education needed: Doctoral or professional degree Expected job growth by 2032: 4.4%

Dentists identify and treat problems with a patient's mouth, gums and teeth. Career counselor Lynn Berger says that dentists have one of the most stressful jobs because most patients don’t like going to the dentist and may even feel scared or uncomfortable.

Managing the emotions that patients experience can be mentally taxing. “The most stressful occupations are those with much responsibility and not a lot of positive reward and feedback,” she explained in an email.

Learn more about dentists .

Firefighter

Median salary: $51,680 Education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award Expected job growth by 2032: 3.6%

Firefighters are responsible for responding to emergency situations involving fires, hazardous materials and other disasters.

“Firefighters work in dangerous and high-pressure environments where split-second decisions can mean life or death,” Conor Hughes, an SHRM senior certified professional and HR consultant, wrote in an email.

Learn more about firefighters .

Financial Analyst

Median salary: $90,680 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 8.2%

Financial analysts are responsible for analyzing financial data, trends and market conditions to help businesses make informed financial decisions. While they make lucrative salaries, their job is not easy. "The need for accuracy, staying updated on market trends and making impactful decisions under tight deadlines is compounded by the volatility of financial markets, which financial analysts cannot influence," Burk said.

Learn more about financial analysts .

High School Teacher

Median salary: $62,360 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 1%

In the U.S., high school teachers typically teach students from the ninth through 12th grades. While working with teenagers can be rewarding, it can be stressful as well.

“Educators often work long hours for little pay while managing overloaded classrooms, meeting strict curriculum standards and dealing with challenging student behaviors. This results in high attrition,” Hughes explained.

Learn more about high school teachers .

HR Specialist

Median salary: $63,080 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 6.3%

Human resources specialists’ duties can include helping with recruiting, facilitating employee onboarding and supporting employees in managing their compensation and benefits packages. “HR specialists are typically the most stressed role for a good three weeks during performance reviews and compensation processes,” Daniel Space, senior HR business partner director, wrote in an email.

Learn more about HR specialists .

Median salary: $135,740 Education needed: Doctoral or professional degree Expected job growth by 2032: 7.5%

Lawyers rank No. 1 among the Best Social Services Jobs and No. 14 among the Best-Paying Jobs. They’re licensed professionals who provide legal advice to individuals or businesses in one or more areas of law.

“The adversarial nature of law combined with billable hour requirements, client demands and high-stakes cases create a pressure-cooker environment for many attorneys. If you’re in this field, my advice is to set boundaries, delegate tasks when possible and build time for stress management,” Hughes said.

Learn more about lawyers .

Marriage and Family Therapist

Median salary: $56,570 Education needed: Master’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 14.9%

Marriage and family therapists are mental health professionals licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and family systems.

While this career can be fulfilling, it's rather demanding. "The challenge of providing effective support while maintaining professional boundaries can be emotionally draining, and factors beyond their control can influence the progress of therapy," Burk explained.

Learn more about marriage and family therapists .

Mental Health Counselor

Median salary: $51,240 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 10.6%

Mental health counselors assist patients with processing life experiences that can lead to grief and trauma. Of course, helping people achieve better mental health is deeply rewarding, but it could leave you feeling drained.

Also, as the pandemic led to rising mental health needs, mental health counselors experienced increasing caseloads, more stress and higher burnout rates.

Learn more about mental health counselors .

Nurse Practitioner

Median salary: $121,610 Education needed: Master’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 44.5%

Nurse practitioners rank No. 1 among the 100 Best Jobs, the Best STEM Jobs and the Best Health Care Jobs .

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education, which allows them to take patient histories, perform physical exams, order labs, prescribe medicine and even authorize treatment plans.

“However, due to the high-stakes nature of their profession, their enormous workloads, irregular hours and their frequent exposure to patient trauma and suffering, nurse practitioners, along with physicians and other frontline health care workers confront extreme stress,” Hughes said.

Learn more about nurse practitioners .

Median salary: $49,090 Education needed: High school diploma or equivalent Expected job growth by 2032: 5.4%

Paramedics are highly trained professionals who assess, treat and transport patients who need urgent medical attention. Being a paramedic can be rewarding but mentally and physically taxing.

“Paramedics operate in dangerous, high-pressure environments where split-second decisions can mean life or death. The threat of violence combined with witnessing trauma on a regular basis contributes to extremely high rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety among first responders,” Hughes said.

Learn more about paramedics .

Patrol Officer

Median salary: $65,790 Education needed: High school diploma or equivalent Expected job growth by 2032: 3.3%

Patrol officers are members of local or state law enforcement agencies responsible for preventing illegal activity and protecting communities. Exposure to violence, crime and the physical demands of the job can all contribute to a high stress level.

If you’re interested in becoming a patrol officer, Hughes recommends that you seek counseling, peer support and stress management training to keep your mental health in check.

Learn more about patrol officers .

Median salary: $227,180 Education needed: Doctoral or professional degree Expected job growth by 2032: 3.1%

Physicians, or primary care doctors, are patients' first stop when they experience health issues like headaches or heart problems.

Because of the high-stakes nature of their profession, heavy workloads and frequent exposure to patient trauma, physicians and other frontline health care workers are often under a tremendous level of stress.

Learn more about physicians .

Sales Managers

Median salary: $130,600 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 4%

Sales managers rank No. 2 among the Best Sales and Marketing Jobs and No. 17 among the Best-Paying Jobs.

Sales managers are responsible for orchestrating an organization’s sales process, including product development, customer response and data collection. "This profession can be stressful since you must face the pressure of meeting or exceeding sales targets. You must also motivate your team, handle rejections and adapt to market changes. Plus, success is often dependent on market conditions and customer behavior that you cannot control," Burk said.

Learn more about sales managers.

Software Developer

Median salary: $127,260 Education needed: Bachelor’s degree Expected job growth by 2032: 25.7%

Software developers rank No. 1 among the Best Technology Jobs and No. 2 among the Best STEM Jobs.

Although software developers earn lucrative salaries, especially those who work at top companies like Meta or Google, the job can be stressful and fast-paced. These professionals use their design and coding skills to create software for clients and users. According to Space, they can sometimes feel “extremely stressed between product updates and launches.”

Learn more about software developers .

Median salary: $239,200 Education needed: Doctoral or professional degree Expected job growth by 2032: 1.7%

Surgeons operate on people in need of medical treatment related to diseases, broken bones and other issues. An error made in a critical procedure can change someone’s life or be fatal, which is why surgeons are often under high stress.

If you’re interested in entering this career field, Hughes recommends that you try to separate your professional life from your personal one. “It's very easy to allow the suffering you see at work to influence your personal energy,” he said.

Learn more about surgeons .

15 Best Jobs You've Never Heard Of

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Walmart will lay off hundreds of corporate workers, require others to relocate

The country’s largest retailer and employer mandated that the majority of workers in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto move to its headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.

Walmart will lay off hundreds of corporate staff and require the majority of employees working remotely or at a handful of off-site offices to relocate, the company announced Tuesday.

Walmart is the largest employer in the country, with 1.6 million workers. The majority of employees work in stores or warehouses. Chief people officer Donna Morris said in an email to staff that the number of associates being laid off is “small in percentage” relative to the size of the company.

The retail giant mandated that the majority of employees in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto move to its headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Other staffers will go to locations in the San Francisco Bay Area or the New York metropolitan area. Employees affected by the news have already been notified, the company said.

“We believe that being together, in person, makes us better and helps us to collaborate, innovate and move even faster,” Morris said in the email. “We also believe it helps strengthen our culture as well as grow and develop our associates.”

Walmart has been investing in enhancing its in-person office experience, particularly at its headquarters known as Home Office. The company began new construction on a 350-acre campus in 2019 and aims to open in phases through 2025. The new campus has a child care center, hotel, 360,000-square-foot health and fitness center, food hall, 37-mile walking and biking trail, and auditorium.

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The company, which reports its first-quarter earnings on Thursday, has been cutting costs recently. Last month, it announced it was shuttering Walmart Health, an initiative started in 2019 that offered in-person health clinics at 51 stores as well as virtual visits. The company, which last year said it planned to open two dozen more, said it “determined there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue.”

Walmart follows several other large companies in asking white-collar workers to relocate as part of a push for more in-person work. The move comes amid a national stalemate over the return to offices: The effort to get workers back together in person has been ongoing since 2021, and scores of knowledge workers have long since made the transition. Yet office occupancy has hovered stubbornly around 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels across the country’s top metro areas since early 2023, according to data tracked by Kastle Systems.

As the labor market has cooled and layoffs have risen, more leaders have used their leverage to push for a greater return to offices. But workers have been reluctant to give up the flexibility they gained during the pandemic, and they’ve shown their resistance through petitions against RTO, leaving the company and even filing lawsuits .

Since the pandemic waned, hybrid work has become the dominant model for knowledge workers, with 54 percent of remote-capable workers operating under hybrid schedules, according to data from Gallup.

Executives have extolled the value of in-person work since the onset of return to offices, citing benefits to company culture, productivity and collaboration. CEOs such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Nike’s John Donahoe have criticized remote work for leading to drop-offs in innovation and productivity. But they’ve provided little hard evidence for these claims, and are probably relying on decades-old research about the importance of co-location of teams, according to Christopher Myers, an associate professor of management and organization health at Johns Hopkins University.

Older research about the benefits of co-location for innovation tends to focus on examples of “things that came about because two people who happened to be near each other started talking about a problem they were having,” such as Post-it notes and Gorilla Glue, said Myers, who is also a scholar with the Academy of Management. But that’s far less applicable in today’s landscape, where technology allows workers to connect far more easily when they’re not in the same place.

“We have more options other than face-to-face interaction now,” Myers said. “Relying on that old research and that old perspective may not be as relevant or helpful.”

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Pfizer rolls out another cost-cutting program, sets $1.5 billion target by 2027

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Exclusive: Siemens likely to transfer Siemens Energy stake to pension fund, CFO says

Siemens AG will likely transfer its remaining 17.1% stake in Siemens Energy to the group's pension fund to avoid diluting the value of the company's shares via a placement, the group's finance chief told Reuters.

Current Openings

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Member Services Manager

• REMOTE OPTIONS

DEPT OF ADMINISTRATION

Delivering results that matter by providing best in class support services., benefits services division (bsd this position may offer the ability to work remotely, within arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures main office location: 100 n. 15th ave, suite 301, phoenix az, salary: up to $85,000.00 , open until filled.

The Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA), Benefits Services Division (BSD), is seeking a dedicated and customer-oriented Member Services Manager. This pivotal role serves as the primary point of contact for plan members, overseeing a call center team of eight staff members. Responsibilities include managing enrollments, disenrollments, and coverage changes for State employee benefit plans, covering over 130,000 State and University employees, retirees, and their dependents. The successful candidate will ensure the accurate implementation of plan designs in accordance with State policies and Federal requirements, as well as review and adjudicate member appeals and complaints. Join us in providing exceptional service to our members while adhering to the highest standards of compliance and efficiency.

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

• Prepares and reviews operational reports and schedules to ensure accuracy and efficiency
• Provides day-to-day management of call center representatives including hiring, training and terminating staff
• Is the high-level representative for difficult and complicated customer issues beyond the knowledge of call center staff
• Verifies that all agency, State and Federal policies, regulations and laws are applied correctly to member eligibility and coverage issues
• Assigns medical claim and pharmacy appeals to appropriate staff and adjudicates first level eligibility appeals
• Receives and resolves complaints concerning benefits
• Ensure good customer services practices are implemented and maintained

Knowledge of:

• Medicare regulations
• Agency, State and Federal health care and other benefits rules and regulations
• Customer service practices
• Call center practices
• Arizona Management System
• General personnel management and ADOA Personnel System
• Critical thinking
• Reading comprehension
• Active listening
• Monitoring of complex situations
• Coordinating activities with others

Ability to:

• Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
• Oral expression
• Written expression
• Problem sensitivity-The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong
• Problem solving
• Background and reference check, including a criminal records verification

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply:  Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The Arizona Department of Administration offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program)
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program  here . For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

• Participation in ASRS Lifetime Benefit Pension Plan after 27 weeks of employment
• If you have any questions please feel free to contact Christopher Langseth at [email protected] for assistance
• The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer

ARIZONA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (AMS)

All Arizona state employees operate within the Arizona Management System (AMS), an intentional, results-driven approach for doing the work of state government whereby every employee reflects on performance, reduces waste, and commits to continuous improvement with sustainable progress.  Through AMS, every state employee seeks to understand customer needs, identify problems, improve processes, and measure results.   State employees are highly engaged, collaborative and embrace a culture of public service.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements

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Money blog: Two banks paying new customers to join; what now for mortgages after election announcement?

The new energy price cap has been announced, and it means average bills will fall by more than £100 from July. Read about this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news - and leave a comment - in the Money blog below.

Friday 24 May 2024 10:00, UK

• Energy bills to be cheaper from July as price cap falls to £1,568
• But predictions say cap will rise again
• What now for mortgages after inflation and election announcements?
• These two banks are paying new customers to join  
• 'Are you out of your actual minds?' - Man quoted £780 for two return train tickets to London

Essential reads

• Savings Guide: Britons urged to act quickly to grab above-inflation savings rates while they last
• Top Northern Ireland chef picks his Cheap Eats - in Belfast and at home
• Money Problem : 'My second-hand Ford is being written off with a known issue - but no one is taking responsibility'
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

There is almost zero chance of a cut in interest rates next month, a senior economist has said.

Michael Saunders, an adviser at Oxford Economics and a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), said Wednesday's higher than expected inflation figures made it very unlikely.

The rate of price rises dropped to 2.3% in April - but economists had been predicting 2.1% .

The general election, called for 4 July, also makes an interest rate cut unlikely, Mr Saunders said.

"They themselves [the MPC] wouldn't want to be a cause of volatility," he told Bloomberg.

"The MPC would be especially reluctant to do a surprise rate change during an election campaign. 

"But, in practice, a June rate cut is already ruled out by inflation figures."

The first rate cut is likely to come in August, Mr Saunders said.

He added: "I do think over the course of the year, markets may now be slightly under-pricing the extent to which interest rates come down.

"I would still say [there will be] three rate cuts - the first one not until August, and then a couple more later in the year."

Nationwide and TSB have both launched current account switch deals as banks fight to draw in new customers. 

Nationwide announced the deal after recording a £1.77bn profit for the year ending 4 April. 

For existing members who don't have a current account, the building society is offering a £200 switch sweetener. 

To qualify, you need to use the Current Account Switch Service and complete a full transfer. 

There needs to be a minimum of two direct debits from the account and the switch must be complete within 28 days of the request to move in order to qualify for the deal. 

To celebrate its record-breaking profits, Nationwide is also rewarding its customers (who were members as of 31 March) with £100, which will be transferred into their accounts in June.

Meanwhile, TSB is offering £100 to new customers switching to its Spend and Save or Spend and Save Plus current account. 

The accounts can be open in branch, online or via the app.

To grab the deal, the switch needs to be complete through the CASS within 21 days of the request, a minimum of five payments need to be made using your card, and you have to log into the app at least once by 5 July. 

You can also nab £60 cashback if you make 20 debit card payments each calendar month. 

Spend & Save account customers will get £10 per month in cashback for the first six months for new customers, totalling £60.

For those opening the £3 per month Spend & Save Plus account, they will get £10 cashback per month for the first six months before reverting to £5 per month.

Every Friday we get an overview of the mortgage market with the help of industry experts - before honing in on the best deals available right now with the guys at Moneyfacts.

Two major announcements this week are set to have a big impact on mortgages and the housing market in the coming months.

First, inflation came in at 2.3% for April - within touching distance of the Bank of England's 2% target but higher than the Bank and most analysts had anticipated.

The markets instantly scaled back their expectations for a June rate cut - from around 50% to around 15%.

What does this mean for borrowers?

It's probably too early to say - with TSB and Santander announcing cuts on Thursday, but Barclays going the other way.

David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages , said: "Mortgage rates have eased back a touch in recent weeks, but [the inflation] figures may well hold back the chance for that to become a stronger trend.  A big fall in inflation was already expected and therefore already priced into fixed rates.

"Holding off in the hope of rates dropping could make for a bumpy ride for homeowners. Those eyeing the end of their current fixed deal may want to secure a rate now. That still leaves the chance to keep rates under close review and switch to a better deal if rates do improve before the end of the current product."

James Hyde, spokesman for  Moneyfactscompare.co.uk , added: "Week on week, the overall average two- and five-year fixed rates remained very steady, currently sitting at 5.93% and 5.50% respectively."

The second big announcement was the general election - which we now know will be on 4 July.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla , said buyers who are close to agreeing a sale will "ideally want to push through and agree to sales now".

However, those who are "earlier in the process" may try to "delay decisions until the autumn after the election is over", Mr Donnell said.

This election may not have as much impact as previous ones, though.

That is because there is "not a huge divide in policy between the two main parties", Mr Donnell said.

Best rates on offer right now

This week we've asked the independent experts at Moneyfacts to look at the best rates on the market for homeowners who are on the move....

Moneyfacts advises borrowers to always look beyond the best rates as additional costs and conditions mean you could end up paying more.

"Factors such as a low product fee, free valuation or legal fees, and cashback options can mean that certain deals are more cost-effective than those that may have a more eye-catching headline rate," said Mr Hyde.

Here's a look at the deals judged "best buys" by Moneyfacts this week...

As we've been reporting, the energy price cap has been set at £1,568 a year for a typical dual-fuel consumer and will come into force from July. 

The new cap represents a 7% decrease from the current rate of £1,690. 

It has played a significant role in reducing the UK's inflation rate to a near three-year low of 2.3%. 

But respected market researcher Cornwall Insight has predicted the drop in the price cap will be temporary and that bills will likely rise once more in the run-up to winter. 

Its forecasts show a typical bill could increase to £1,762 - even higher than the current rate - from October and remain around this level from January 2025.

The prediction is due to an uptick in the wholesale market.

"It is clear the cap in its current form is not going to bring down bills to pre-crisis levels," Dr Craig Lowrey, principal consultant at Cornwall Insight, said . 

"However, while the general election is likely to put a halt to any immediate reforms to household energy bills, parties may use this opportunity to highlight how they intend to approach this challenge in the future. 

"Whatever the outcome of the election, we hope the government will work with Ofgem to review the current cap and implement changes that not only lower bills but also support struggling customers."

Today's fall in the energy price cap will be "small comfort" for those struggling with the cost of living, the chief executive of Citizens Advice has said.

Dame Clare Moriarty said the organisation's data shows "millions have fallen into the red or are unable to cover their essential costs every month".

She added: "People cannot rely on lower energy prices alone to escape the financial issues they've been experiencing.

"That's why we need better targeted energy bill support for those really struggling to keep the lights on or cook a hot meal."

The cap will fall to £1,568 a year from 1 July - a drop of £122 from the previous quarter. 

The UK's gas prices are now lower on average than in other European countries, the energy secretary has told Sky News.

"If you look at households in this country, 75% of households' heating is gas," Claire Coutinho said.

"And actually that's now significantly lower than the European average."

She also said she was setting out plans for bills to "continue to be lower" - although we are now into a general election campaign, and the Conservatives may soon be out of government.

Ms Coutinho said: "So whether it's standing charges, which we want to be fairer, or more competition and comparison in the market, or better regulation of energy brokers with businesses, today we're setting out further steps to make sure that people can keep their energy bills low."

Today's drop in the energy price cap will be "seized on by the Conservatives", political correspondent Rob Powell  says.

It is likely to be presented as evidence that the economy is "starting to settle down and turn a corner and more evidence of the Conservative plan working".

But, he says, that is "debatable" - because when energy prices spiked initially, ministers suggested it was out of their control, caused primarily by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"I think it might be a bit funny for them to try and claim that now they're coming down - that that's due to their plan," he says. 

"In reality, it is down to dropping wholesale energy gas prices."

Energy policy is likely to be the focus of both Labour and the Tories today.

Some more breaking money news this morning.

Retail sales volumes - meaning the amount shoppers bought - fell by 2.3% last month, after a fall of 0.2% the month before.

Sales volumes fell across most sectors, with clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores and furniture stores doing badly as poor weather reduced footfall.

Economists had expected a fall of 0.6%.

The energy price cap will fall to  £1,568 from 1 July, the regulator Ofgem has announced.

That is a fall of about 7%.

It is £506 less than the cap in July last year, when it was £2,074.

It is also £122 lower a year than the previous price cap, in place from 1 April to 30 June, which is £1,690.

You are covered by the energy price cap if you pay for your electricity and gas by:  

• Standard credit (payment made when you get your electricity and gas bill) 
• Direct Debit
• Prepayment meter 
• Economy 7 (E7) meter 

We'll find out the new energy price cap at 7am, but the average annual dual-fuel bill for a UK household is still about 40% - or £450 - higher than before the energy crisis, a non-profit organisation has said. 

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said that over the past three years, the average household's dual-fuel bill had reached £6,800.

That is double the cost of energy bills in the previous three years, it said.

Because of the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), the government paid more than £1,000 of this increase, with households covering another £2,400, the ECIU said.

From 1 October 2022 until 30 June 2023, the government's EPG supported all households with a domestic gas and/or electricity contract.

"Households are still struggling with bills that are hundreds of pounds higher than pre-crisis levels and estimates suggest bills may rise again as we head into winter," Jess Ralston, from the ECIU, said.

"Whatever colour the next government is, we'll be heading into a winter still heavily dependent on volatile gas markets."

She also called for more renewable sources of energy, a move away from gas boilers, and a shift to electric heat pumps.

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Telstra reveals plan to cut 2800 jobs to save $350 million, ‘reset’ business

Telco giant Telstra plans to cut up to 2800 jobs in a move it says will help save the company $350 million.

Telstra has revealed plans to axe 2800 jobs to save $34m. (Photo: ABC)

The potential job cuts announced on Tuesday amount to about nine per cent of the company’s workforce, with most of the axed roles to go by the end of the year.

Chief executive Vicki Brady said the changes were needed to ensure Telstra could continue to invest in supporting the ever-increasing growth in data volumes on its networks.

“Some of the proposed measures, which require consultation with employees and unions, would result in up to 2800 job reductions from Telstra’s direct workforce,” she said in a statement.

“Telstra’s ongoing investment in infrastructure, technology, innovation and service for our customers drives growth and underpins Australia’s digital economy, contributing to the prosperity of the nation.”

Talks with workers and unions on initial cuts to nearly 400 jobs would start immediately, the company said, mainly from a “reset” of the telco’s business-to-business enterprise division.

It will also “reshape some of its internal operations” by shifting staff from its global business services into other parts of the company.

The announcement came within “an evolving competitive landscape, rapid advances in technology, changing customer needs and ongoing inflationary pressures”, Telstra said.

Ms Brady flagged potential redundancies in February when she revealed the telco had achieved about $105 million, or 20 per cent, of the savings outlined in its long-term strategy.

The job cuts, combined with reductions in other costs, were expected to save the company $350 million by the end of the 2025 financial year.

The one-off costs of the restructure were predicted to be worth up to $250 million.

The Communication Workers Union said the announcement came out of the blue and thousands of workers had woken up to the news that their jobs were at risk.

“There are going to be thousands of workers and their families terrified today about what this means for them and their future,” national assistant secretary James Perkins said.

“You can’t slash thousands of jobs without seriously impacting the delivery of services across the country.”

Telstra reported an increase in half-yearly income and profits in February on the back of strong growth in its mobiles business.

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