job role business plan

Business Plan Template for Job Role

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As an entrepreneur or business owner, creating a solid business plan for a specific job role is essential for success. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Role comes in!

With this template, you can outline the responsibilities, goals, strategies, and financial projections for any job role within your organization, ensuring clarity and alignment in your business operations.

Here's why ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Role is a game-changer:

• Streamline the process of creating a comprehensive business plan for a specific job role
• Ensure everyone on your team understands their responsibilities and goals
• Visualize financial projections and track progress to achieve desired results

Ready to take your business to the next level? Try ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Role today and set your organization up for success!

Business Plan Template for Job Role Benefits

Creating a business plan for a specific job role can provide numerous benefits for entrepreneurs and business owners, including:

• Clarity: Clearly define the responsibilities, objectives, and expectations for the job role, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
• Alignment: Align the goals and strategies of the job role with the overall business objectives, ensuring that all efforts are working towards the same vision.
• Efficiency: Streamline operations by identifying the most effective strategies and processes for the job role, optimizing productivity and performance.
• Financial Projections: Develop accurate financial projections for the job role, helping to allocate resources and make informed budgeting decisions.
• Accountability: Hold employees accountable by setting clear targets and performance metrics for the job role.
• Growth: Lay the foundation for future growth and expansion by identifying opportunities and potential challenges for the job role.

Main Elements of Job Role Business Plan Template

Creating a comprehensive business plan for a specific job role within your organization is made easy with ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Role. Here are the main elements this List template offers:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of each task with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do, ensuring that you stay on top of your business plan milestones.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add important details and organize information within your business plan.
• Custom Views: Access five different views, including Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide, to gain a comprehensive overview of your business plan and easily navigate through different sections.
• Collaboration and Organization: Collaborate with your team, assign tasks, set due dates, and attach files directly within ClickUp to streamline your business plan creation process.
• Integration and Automation: Seamlessly integrate with other tools, automate repetitive tasks, and streamline your workflow to save time and boost productivity.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Job Role

Crafting a business plan for your job role is a strategic way to outline your goals and objectives. By using the Business Plan Template in ClickUp and following the steps below, you can create a comprehensive plan that will help you excel in your position and achieve professional success.

1. Define your job role and responsibilities

Start by clearly defining your job role and responsibilities. Outline the specific tasks and duties that are expected of you in your position. This will give you a clear understanding of what you need to focus on and accomplish.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to create a detailed description of your job role and responsibilities.

2. Set measurable goals

Next, set measurable goals that align with your job role and the overall objectives of the company. These goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). They should also be aligned with your personal career aspirations and the company's strategic direction.

Use Goals in ClickUp to create and track your SMART goals, ensuring that they are aligned with your job role.

3. Identify key strategies and action steps

Once you have defined your job role and set your goals, it's time to identify key strategies and action steps that will help you achieve those goals. Think about the specific tasks and initiatives you need to undertake to make progress towards your objectives.

Use tasks in ClickUp to break down your strategies and action steps into manageable and trackable tasks.

4. Monitor progress and make adjustments

Regularly monitor your progress towards your goals and make adjustments as needed. Keep track of your accomplishments and challenges, and evaluate whether you are on track to achieve your objectives. If necessary, revise your strategies and action steps to ensure that you stay focused and productive.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to get an overview of your progress and track your key performance indicators (KPIs).

By following these steps and utilizing the Business Plan Template in ClickUp, you can create a solid roadmap for success in your job role. With clear objectives, actionable strategies, and ongoing monitoring, you'll be able to excel in your position and achieve your professional goals.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Job Role

Entrepreneurs and business owners can use the Business Plan Template for Job Role to create a comprehensive plan for a specific role within their organization, ensuring clarity and alignment in their business operations.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a detailed business plan for a specific job role:

• Use the Topics View to outline the key responsibilities, goals, and strategies for the job role
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each task, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and milestones for each task in the business plan
• The Business Plan View provides a comprehensive overview of the entire plan, including financial projections, marketing strategies, and more
• Use the Getting Started Guide View to provide step-by-step instructions for implementing the business plan
• Customize the template by adding custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional context and organization
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through the business plan to keep stakeholders informed of progress
• Monitor and analyze tasks to ensure maximum productivity and success in implementing the business plan.
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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

More on Business Plans

How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated May 7, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan
• Templates and examples

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What Is a Business Plan?

Understanding business plans, how to write a business plan, common elements of a business plan, 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.

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A business plan is a document that outlines a company's goals and the strategies to achieve them. It's valuable for both startups and established companies. For startups, a well-crafted business plan is crucial for attracting potential lenders and investors. Established businesses use business plans to stay on track and aligned with their growth objectives. This article will explain the key components of an effective business plan and guidance on how to write one.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan is a document detailing a company's business activities and strategies for achieving its goals.
• Startup companies use business plans to launch their venture and to attract outside investors.
• For established companies, a business plan helps keep the executive team focused on short- and long-term objectives.
• There's no single required format for a business plan, but certain key elements are essential for most companies.

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

Any new business should have a business plan in place before beginning operations. Banks and venture capital firms often want to see a business plan before considering making a loan or providing capital to new businesses.

Even if a company doesn't need additional funding, having a business plan helps it stay focused on its goals. Research from the University of Oregon shows that businesses with a plan are significantly more likely to secure funding than those without one. Moreover, companies with a business plan grow 30% faster than those that don't plan. According to a Harvard Business Review article, entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than those who don't.

A business plan should ideally be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect achieved goals or changes in direction. An established business moving in a new direction might even create an entirely new plan.

There are numerous benefits to creating (and sticking to) a well-conceived business plan. It allows for careful consideration of ideas before significant investment, highlights potential obstacles to success, and provides a tool for seeking objective feedback from trusted outsiders. A business plan may also help ensure that a company’s executive team remains aligned on strategic action items and priorities.

While business plans vary widely, even among competitors in the same industry, they often share basic elements detailed below.

A well-crafted business plan is essential for attracting investors and guiding a company's strategic growth. It should address market needs and investor requirements and provide clear financial projections.

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, gathering the basic information into a 15- to 25-page document is best. Any additional crucial elements, such as patent applications, can be referenced in the main document and included as appendices.

Common elements in many business plans include:

• 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 : Describe the products and services the company offers or plans to introduce. Include details on pricing, product lifespan, and unique consumer benefits. Mention production and manufacturing processes, relevant patents , proprietary technology , and research and development (R&D) information.
• Market analysis : Explain the current state of the industry and the competition. Detail where the company fits in, the types of customers it plans to target, and how it plans to capture market share from competitors.
• Marketing strategy : Outline the company's plans to attract and retain customers, including anticipated advertising and marketing campaigns. Describe the distribution channels that will be used to deliver products or services to consumers.
• Financial plans and projections : Established businesses should include financial statements, balance sheets, and other relevant financial information. New businesses should provide financial targets and estimates for the first few years. This section may also include any funding requests.

Investors want to see a clear exit strategy, expected returns, and a timeline for cashing out. It's likely a good idea to provide five-year profitability forecasts and realistic financial estimates.

2 Types of Business Plans

Business plans can vary in format, often categorized into traditional and lean startup plans. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , the traditional business plan is the more common of the two.

• Traditional business plans : These are detailed and lengthy, requiring more effort to create but offering comprehensive information that can be persuasive to potential investors.
• Lean startup business plans : These are concise, sometimes just one page, and focus on key elements. While they save time, companies should be ready to provide additional details if requested by investors or lenders.

Why Do Business Plans Fail?

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

How Often Should a Business Plan Be Updated?

How frequently a business plan needs to be revised will depend on its nature. Updating your business plan is crucial due to changes in external factors (market trends, competition, and regulations) and internal developments (like employee growth and new products). While 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 ideal for quickly explaining a business, especially for new companies that don't have much information yet. Key sections may include a value proposition , major activities and advantages, resources (staff, intellectual property, and capital), partnerships, customer segments, and revenue sources.

A well-crafted business plan is crucial for any company, whether it's a startup looking for investment or an established business wanting to stay on course. It outlines goals and strategies, boosting a company's chances of securing funding and achieving growth.

As your business and the market change, update your business plan regularly. This keeps it relevant and aligned with your current goals and conditions. Think of your business plan as a living document that evolves with your company, not something carved in stone.

University of Oregon Department of Economics. " Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Business Planning Using Palo Alto's Business Plan Pro ." Eason Ding & Tim Hursey.

Bplans. " Do You Need a Business Plan? Scientific Research Says Yes ."

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

Harvard Business Review. " How to Write a Winning Business Plan ."

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

SCORE. " When and Why Should You Review Your Business Plan? "

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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.

SCORE. " Why Small Businesses Should Consider Workers’ Comp Insurance ."

Business Analyst Job Description (With Examples)

Updated: Mar 22, 2024, 1:27am

Table of Contents

What does a business analyst do, how to write a business analyst job description, business analyst job description examples, frequently asked questions (faqs) about a business analyst’s job description.

A business analyst commonly reviews and analyzes key business metrics to devise plans for improvement, then communicates these findings and plans to key stakeholders in the organization. “Business analyst” is a large umbrella term with a lot of variability in the specifics, depending on the industry and the experience needed.

When hiring a business analyst, clear expectations are key for success. It is important to craft a thoughtfully designed, focused job description so applicants know what you are looking for. Explore well-written business analyst job description examples and learn how to draft your own job description to attract top candidates.

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As the name implies, a business analyst analyzes businesses. However, there is a lot of nuance and detail in those two general words, and the position’s responsibilities extend beyond merely analyzing data.

While the specific functions of a business analyst vary depending on the size of the business and its industry, a business analyst generally reviews business operations, assesses evolving business ideas, liaises between groups and departments and communicates recommendations for improving business operations.

No matter where you post your job —whether that’s your company website, Indeed , LinkedIn or even Facebook—you’ll want to have a carefully crafted job description to attract the most qualified candidates.

In addition to the prerequisites for a job description, including the equal employment opportunities statement and job benefits, a business analyst job description should include details regarding the job responsibilities, requirements and necessary skills. The job description’s full details are often summarized in a one-page document that can be used in the recruiting process to attract candidates, define the role and establish its level of responsibility within the business.

Business Analyst Objectives

Regardless of the industry, the overall objectives of a business analyst are to review and analyze current and proposed business operations. Oftentimes, these professionals review financial statements, key performance indicators (KPIs) and other key metrics, then consider options for improvement. Business analysts assess the overall effectiveness of a business and its departments to devise solutions to problems.

Business Analyst Responsibilities

In your job description, you should clearly state the business analyst’s key responsibilities, along with any secondary responsibilities. Among the typical key responsibilities for a business analyst are:

• Identify and communicate with key stakeholders
• Gather, review and analyze business and industry data, including KPIs, financial reports and other key metrics using data analytics tools
• Liaise between various business departments and groups
• Assess options for process improvement, including business process modeling
• Maintain documentation regarding various projects, processes and operations
• Collaborate with project managers and cross-functional teams

Business Analyst Skills and Qualifications

Business analysts typically require at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration, business analytics management information systems or a related field. Business analysts specializing in specific industries such as engineering, technology, finance or healthcare may hold degrees related to those fields. Some employers prefer to hire analysts with M.B.A.s.

Some of the key skills for a business analyst include:

• Ability to effectively communicate and influence key stakeholders to support proposed strategies, process improvements and operational decisions
• Resourcefulness and creative problem solving skills
• Experience testing and mapping various business processes and protocols
• Familiarity with industry technology systems to gather data
• Excellent communication and leadership skills

Additional Information To Include in Your Job Description

You may also want to include salary information in your business analyst job description. In fact, some states and cities have wage transparency laws that require job posters to list salary rates. If you have employees in these areas or are filling a remote position that may have applicants from a jurisdiction with wage transparency laws, you must include salary information.

It is also helpful to include information about job benefits and some background information on your company. Finally, don’t forget to include the equal employment opportunity information as required by law.

To give you a better idea of the typical job descriptions for business analyst positions, we share the following examples from job postings on Indeed . The first example shows common responsibilities to include in a business analyst job description. The second example shows common skills and education for a business analyst, and the final example is a solid example of both responsibilities and qualifications. Each job description includes a salary estimate as well.

Technical Business Analyst at DriveCentric

The above job description for a technical business analyst relates to software analysis and includes several of the key functions of a business analyst, including the following responsibilities:

• Producing functional designs for tools used in the applicable group
• Analyzing the pertinent metrics and data
• Producing maps and models for proposed systems
• Communicating with internal and external stakeholders
• Analyzing information to assess functionality

Business Analyst at CBRE

Business Operations Analyst at Security Guard Company

Forbes Advisor editor Kelly Main also contributed to this article.

Is a business analyst an IT job?

A business analyst isn’t necessarily an IT professional, and business analysts work in a variety of industries. That said, many business analysts do perform some IT functions or have IT backgrounds, as they assess evolving technology and how it can be used to improve the business.

What are the three main roles of a business analyst?

The three key roles of a business analyst are to gather, review and analyze data regarding the business and its operations; prepare models and process maps for improvements; and communicate findings and suggestions to key stakeholders.

What is the average salary of a business analyst?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics includes business analysts in the broad category of management analysts, reporting a 2022 median annual salary of $95,290 for these professionals. ​​As you can see in the examples shown above, annual salaries can range from about $50,000 to $140,000, depending on the industry and experience level.

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Christine is a non-practicing attorney, freelance writer, and author. She has written legal and marketing content and communications for a wide range of law firms for more than 15 years. She has also written extensively on parenting and current events for the website Scary Mommy. She earned her J.D. and B.A. from University of Wisconsin–Madison, and she lives in the Chicago area with her family.

How to Create a New Job at Your Current Company

So there you are, coasting along at your current job. You enjoy your work, and you especially like your company.

The thing is, you’re feeling a little restless lately. Perhaps you know your job so well that you could do it in your sleep. Or maybe you don’t see much opportunity for growth or movement in your department. That little voice in your head is saying it’s ready for new challenges, but the thought of leaving your awesome company is really daunting. There’s got to be a better way, right?

Before you start polishing up your resume , it’s worth thinking about how you can create your own opportunity at your current company . But how do you do this? Where do you start? How do you even get the right people to listen to you? Read on for five easy steps for creating a new job at your current company.

1. Define a Current Business Problem and Match Your Skills to It

For your boss and company to consider shifting your role, they’ll want to know what’s in it for them. So, look around. What are some of the biggest challenges and problems that need to be solved at your company? Perhaps your department lacks a comprehensive training program, or maybe no one has developed a much-needed social media strategy. Maybe the marketing department is down a person who has never been replaced. Try matching up these opportunities to your own expertise, and think about what you can offer.

2. Create a Detailed Plan

Now that you’ve identified a new role or opportunity you could fill, you’ll want to create a plan. First, create a thorough job description, along with a set of goals for this position within the first year. (To speak your boss’ language, create it using the same format that your company uses already.) Spelling out exactly how this role will look will give management a better idea of what you can accomplish.

Then, put some thought into what will happen to your current role—will you keep some of your tasks and transition some of them to others, or will your boss need to hire a replacement? Remember, if that’s the case, you’ll need to make an especially compelling argument as to why your new role is needed or how it can impact the business. On that note:

3. Pitch the Idea to Your Supervisor

By this point, you might be so excited about your idea that you want to run straight to your boss’ boss (or higher). However, the best place to start is usually your immediate supervisor. He or she will hopefully be a great initial sounding board. Start by scheduling a meeting during a quiet time when your supervisor will be less distracted. Next, present a simple outline of your idea , starting with the business problem you will solve. Be sure to mention your strong interest in developing your skills and owning your career. After all, you’ve already mastered your current job, and you’re ready for new challenges now. It also wouldn’t hurt to mention how much you enjoy working for your current company and how you’d like to stay there long-term.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor to punch holes in this idea; you’ll want to be prepared to answer challenging questions if your idea gets to the next level. If your supervisor agrees that your idea could work, then ask about the next step—i.e., the right people to talk to in order to make the job a reality.

On the other hand, if your manager shows resistance, ask him or her to think about it some more and then get back to you with specific feedback. Maybe your idea could still work with a little tweaking. Or perhaps your supervisor is afraid of backfilling your role, and you need to work on a better transition plan. If the idea is flat-out rejected, don’t be afraid to talk to a mentor or trusted colleague who has a fresh perspective—he or she may have a different idea for approaching matters (or other thoughts on how you could shift your role).

4. Revise Your Idea and Present it to the Decision Makers

Once your boss has green-lighted the idea and pointed you to the right folks to talk to next, take another look at your plan. You’ll want to tailor your approach based on the people you are meeting with. If you’re meeting with a high-level director, you might want to pare down the details and focus on results. If you’re meeting with human resources, you’ll want to include some specific experiences that showcase your untapped talent.

No matter what, again you’ll want to focus on how this new role will be a great thing for the company—and why you’re exactly the right person to take it on.

5. Be Patient

Even if everyone from the custodial staff to the CEO thinks your idea is wonderful, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be starting your new job within two weeks. Some ideas need to be vetted with the right people before they can take flight, whereas others may simply need the right funding to become a reality. And unfortunately, some ideas may depend on the right timing. Your organization may need to wrap up current strategic projects before the right resources can be redirected to your idea.

But remember: If your idea is worth doing and you’d really enjoy it, try to hang in there until the timing is right—it just might pay off in the end. In the meantime, use that waiting period to brush up on those skills you’ll use in your new job. You never know when you’ll be tapped to make that jump.

Have you ever created your own opportunity at your current company? What did you do? Share your experiences with us at The Muse!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Sheldon .

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How to Succeed Quickly in a New Role

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A role transition, whether it’s a promotion, a move to a new organization, or a fresh challenge in an existing job, can be a huge boost to one’s career. But in today’s hyper-collaborative and dynamic workplaces, successful moves aren’t as easy as they once were, even for the most qualified, hardworking people. After analyzing employee relationships and communication patterns across more than 100 diverse companies, and interviewing 160 executives in 20 of them, the authors discovered an overlooked prerequisite for transition success: the effective use of internal networks. That involves five practices: surging rapidly into a broad network by asking a lot of questions and discovering boundary-spanning, innovative people across the organization; generating pull by understanding, energizing, and adjusting to new connections; identifying how to add value, where one falls short, and which people in the broad network can help fill any gaps; creating scale by using the network to engage other key opinion leaders, expand the scope and impact of one’s projects, and more efficiently deliver outsize results; and shaping the network for maximum thriving by making connections that enhance one’s workplace experience.

Five ways to build a strategic network

Idea in Brief

The problem.

People who transition to new roles—within their organizations or in other ones—often have a hard time doing so successfully. Surveys indicate that 27% to 49% of them underperform.

The Research

Analysis of transitioning employees in 100 diverse companies suggests that the ones who get up to speed and excel most quickly are those who know how to use internal networks effectively.

The Strategies

These people follow five “fast mover” practices: They surge rapidly into a broad network; generate pull by energizing new connections; identify how to add value and who can help them fill skills gaps; use the network to expand their impact; and prioritize relationships that enhance their workplace experience.

A role transition—whether a promotion, a move to a new organization, or a fresh challenge in your existing job—can be a huge boost to your career and a chance for you to blossom and thrive. You know the drill heading in: Apply your experience and talents to the position, make sure you are accepted by the hierarchy (including your own direct reports), and clinch a few big wins in the first couple of months to demonstrate what you can do.

• Rob Cross is the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a senior vice president of research at the Institute for Corporate Productivity. He is the coauthor of The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Add Up—and What to Do About It (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023) and author of Beyond Collaboration Overload (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021).
• GP Greg Pryor  is the former SVP, People & Performance Evangelist at Workday and co-founder of Connected Commons.
• DS David Sylvester is the director of executive recruiting and onboarding for Amazon Web Services.

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Strategic Planner job description

A Strategic Planner is responsible for shaping business strategy, developing plans, analyzing data, and aligning goals to achieve the company’s objectives. Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and market research experience are essential.

Nikoletta holds an MSc in HR management and has written extensively about all things HR and recruiting.

This Strategic Planner job description template is optimized for posting to online job boards or careers pages and easy to customize for your company.

What is a Strategic Planner?

A Strategic Planner is a professional who is responsible for shaping the overall business strategy of a company, developing strategic plans, and assessing company performance to achieve business objectives.

What does a Strategic Planner do?

A Strategic Planner develops and implements plans to materialize the company’s strategy, conducts research and data analysis to inform business decisions, and aligns department goals with the overall strategy. They also monitor industry trends, provide insights into organizational changes, and support senior executives in making effective decisions.

Strategic Planner responsibilities include:

• Shaping the company’s overall business strategy
• Developing strategic plans and assessing company performance
• Conducting research and data analysis to inform business decisions

Want to generate a unique job description?

Looking for a job.

We are seeking a Strategic Planner to shape our company’s direction and create plans to achieve our business objectives.

You will play a crucial role in maintaining our competitive edge and effectively allocating resources.

Strategic thinking is a vital skill required for this position, along with strong analytical and organizational abilities.

Your contributions will be instrumental in guiding our company through changes, fostering growth, and ensuring long-term success.

As a Strategic Planner, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on our company’s strategic decisions and drive our business forward.

Join our team and be a key player in shaping our future.

Responsibilities

• Understand and shape the company’s strategy and mission
• Develop plans to materialize strategy and analyze business proposals
• Research competition to identify threats and opportunities
• Assess the company’s operational and strategic performance
• Align processes, resources-planning and department goals with overall strategy
• Provide support and insight into significant organizational changes (e.g. shift in strategic focus, mergers and acquisitions)
• Educate senior executives in making effective decisions
• Construct forecasts and analytical models
• Monitor and analyze industry trends and market changes

Requirements and skills

• Proven experience as a Strategic Planner or Business Consultant
• Understanding of market research and data analysis
• Knowledge of business operations and procedures
• Demonstrable strategic thinking abilities
• Analytical mind with problem-solving aptitude
• Organizational and leadership skills
• Excellent communication skills
• BSc/BA in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance or a related field; MSc/MA/MBA is a plus

Post this Strategic Planner job to over 200 job boards at once.

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Business Plan Consultant Job Description Template

A business plan consultant provides a financial, marketing, and operational roadmap to align stakeholders and help your business achieve its goals.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Watch the case study

Business plans are the North Star for early-stage businesses, used as a reference point when making major business decisions, collateral when securing a new fundraising round, and as an introduction to the business and its goals when recruiting new key hires.

While business plan templates can be found online, these ready-made guides can drive entrepreneurs and their businesses away from what they actually need to achieve. A top business plan consultant will construct a custom plan that takes into account the specifics of your business, or review and pressure-test an existing plan while taking into account the latest industry trends.

Business Plan Consultant - Job Description and Ad Template

Copy this template, and modify it as your own:

Company Introduction

{{Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and anything else that makes your company interesting.}}

Job Description

A business plan consultant provides strategic direction by {{creating or methodically pressure-testing and refining}} a company’s business plan, using an understanding of the company’s core operations, competitive advantages, and goals to provide direction on how to structure, run, and grow the business.

The ideal candidate will have some experience in running or advising early stage businesses, combining the analytical abilities of a CFA charterholder with the broad vision of a CEO to provide a roadmap to growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop an understanding of the existing business (including products/services, customers, competitors, the overall market and trends) through careful research and analysis
• Understand how major stakeholders are thinking about near-term growth, generally and in reference to specific growth initiatives, through interviews with these stakeholders
• Build a detailed financial analysis showing all of the assumptions, drivers, and financial statements for the next 3 - 5 years, accounting for a conservative, base, and aggressive case
• Conduct a total addressable market analysis for the business’ core market, assess major industry trends affecting the business, and describe what impact these trends may have on the business
• Review research reports and conduct primary research to hone in on ideal buyer type and assess customer demand for the company’s existing products and services
• Map out direct and indirect competitors, including potential future competitors, for existing and potential revenue channels
• Define a go-to-market strategy, including testing out potential marketing channels (if applicable)
• Review compensation plans and organizational structure to align incentives and ensure the health of the organization in the long-run

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, operations, research, statistics, math, economics, or related analytical discipline preferred
• Financial management experience with planning, forecasting, and business analysis; prior experience as an advisor to or executive at an early-stage company a plus
• Advanced Excel proficiency. 3+ years of practical experience of using Excel for building and maintaining financial models
• Proficiency with analytical and presentation tools {{(Excel pivot tables, SQL queries, graphing, PowerPoint)}}
• Experience within {{preferred industry}}
• A natural curiosity and a “big picture” mentality
• Experience conducting market research, including analyzing and synthesizing research reports and conducting primary research
• An understanding of marketing channels and go-to-market strategies
• Excellent spoken and written communication; comfort reaching out to and interviewing the company’s management, employees, and customer base

Recent Business Plan Articles by Toptal Finance Experts

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The Undeniable Importance of a Business Plan

Business Plan Consultants: Who They Are and How They Create Value

How to hire business plan consultants.

Business plan consultants have the industry knowledge and expertise to develop a business plan that maximizes your company’s potential and attracts investors. This guide to hiring business plan experts offers insight into best practices, skill requirements, job description tips, and interview questions and answers to help you identify the best candidate for your needs.

Hire a Top Business Plan Consultant Now

Toptal is a marketplace for top business plan consultants and experts. Top companies and startups hire freelance business plan consultants from Toptal for their mission critical projects.

Trevor Davis

Trevor is an experienced entrepreneur and banker with a background in business plan development, financial modeling, M&A, capital raising, and business valuation. He has worked and advised clients across many industries. Trevor has worked on over $5 billion of M&A and financing transactions and has advised clients ranging from early-stage startups to multi-billion dollar businesses.

Andon Baltakov

Andon is a fractional CFO and a fundraising expert for clients of Toptal. Most recently, he devised a novel business plan and a financial model for a sports information company. He also provided advisory services to launch a new social, digital business. Currently, he is working with the CFO of an entertainment enterprise to structure a business model and expand a side video project into a multimillion-dollar film business. Andon is a seasoned strategy executive who worked at the AP, CNN.

Aaleem Jiwa

As a Deloitte consulting manager, Aaleem led the creation of a business plan and financial model for a city-owned real estate firm that enabled them to develop 50 properties in 10 years. He has helped owners of small companies and executive teams at multi-billion dollar entities optimize their businesses through financial analysis. Aaleem travels extensively, and freelancing allows him to deliver value to companies from any city in the world.

Discover More Business Plan Consultants in the Toptal Network

Toptal Connects the Top 3% of Freelance Talent All Over The World.

Join the Toptal community.

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100 Day Plan for Leaders New in Role (Examples + Template)

When I dropped my son off at school on his first day of kindergarten, he looked at me and said, “I can’t wait to not be new anymore.” Thinking about the many people changing roles and companies these days, I can’t help but wonder how many may be counting the days until they’re not new anymore, too.

No matter how many years of experience a person has – even the most senior of leaders – being the “newbie” is daunting for most and hard enough that many avoid taking the new job in the first place. Add to it the complexity of the workplace these days – exhausted teams, workforce shortages, supply chain and business disruption, the war for talent, and constantly shifting ways of working and connecting as teams and organizations – being a leader in a new role is even more challenging.

For those talented and brave souls venturing to new roles and opportunities, congratulations. Instead of a new coffee mug or new decoration for your Zoom background (or at least, in addition to it), give yourself the gift of preparedness so you make the most of your first months on the job and set yourself up for success.

Is a 100 Day Plan Necessary for Leaders New in Role?

In short, yes. As a newly appointed leader, it’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting for the dust to settle – for you to get comfortable in your role and get a lay of the land, for your employees and teams to get accustomed to having a new leader before you start making any plans. However, waiting to form your plan means you lose the opportunity to set the right tone from the start by being purposeful, organized, and action-oriented.

What is a 100 Day Plan for New Leaders?

A 100 Day Plan is an action plan to guide executive leaders through their first critical months in a new role – outlining strategies and tactics to identify and engage key stakeholders and to build relationships, understand the business, set goals, and gain traction quickly so you can set up a foundation for long-term success in an organization.

While a plan needs to be customized for each leader – and you can download a 100 Day Plan Template here to get started – our experience points to six critical strategies all leaders can deploy to ace their first 100 days regardless of industry or function.

What should a 100 Day Plan include?

While a 100 Day Plan for executive leaders in a new role can take on many forms and is as unique as the business challenges leaders face, there are some core components that the best plans have. Use this 100 Day Plan example framework as a guide:

• Situation Summary – Outline the current business landscape, strengths, opportunities and other important headlines that capture the context you’re stepping into as the leader in your role. This might include the state of engagement at your organization, cost pressures, how employees perceive you as the new leader and more. Take an employee-centric point of view by key audience segments and then try to understand the challenge they need to overcome in today’s environment. You may need to set up informational interviews with a few key colleagues to help confirm some of your assumptions and to highlight details that you wouldn’t yet know.
• Longer-term: What do you want people to say about you and the business 18 months from now and what are some of the big actions you might consider taking to make your vision a reality?
• Near-term: Where do you want to be 100 days in on the job? What impact do you want to have made and how does that line up with your longer-term goals? List your goals, ensuring there are business metrics and relationship goals.
• Evolve the vision and goals for the organization’s future (if needed)
• Retain top talent
• Know : What facts do they need from me? What new information can I provide them? Examples: Key milestones I’m setting, changes from how the role was previously defined and new priorities / expectations I’m establishing.
• Feel: What do I want to be top of mind when they walk away from meeting with me? What pain point are they currently experiencing that I might be able to begin alleviating? Example: Confidence in the path forward, comfort in their ability to talk to me.
• Do: Is there an action that you need them to take right now? Is there a behavior that you want to see them demonstrate going forward? Example: Share the information you’ve provided them with their team, commit to asking questions and keeping the lines of communication open and adopt a mindset that assumes good intent even when faced with challenges or times of change.
• Key Messages – Articulate what the main messages are that you want to convey as you get to know your various key stakeholders. These may be key themes that you know you want to highlight about your leadership style and vision for the role, high-level examples of how you view your function tying into broader company goals and strategies, or a list of commitments you are making to your staff and the actions you are asking them to take while you settle in.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Plan – Make a plan for how you’ll purposefully reach your stakeholders and how you’ll communicate over time to accomplish your goals. When you consider your stakeholders, think about big “centers of gravity” so you can separate out how to allocate time and where you can have the greatest impact by investing time and energy. Also, consider what key relationships you need to build because they’re critical to establishing bridges and sponsorship across the organization. Look for communication channels that already exist so you can simply plug in without having to build infrastructure – don’t underestimate the value of informal conversations and small group huddles as a powerful vehicle while people are getting to know you.
• Quick Win Tactics – Identify opportunities to generate quick and meaningful wins that demonstrate progress toward your overall goals. It is easy for leaders to get caught up in the long game, focusing on the notable impact they aspire to make within a business, but it’s the small wins along the way that both give you something to celebrate and help your stakeholders appreciate the impact you are already making.
• Measures for Success – Consider how you’ll know when success is achieved. Identify the metrics and how you’ll monitor progress – remember, this is a 100 Day Plan, so the metrics should fit accordingly with that timeline. For example, a measure could be around moving sentiment – such as belief in the company, confidence and optimism in the future, and clarity around where we’re heading and why. Use the progress in your stakeholder engagement and communication plans to show momentum.

Want help getting started? Download our free 100 Day Plan Template .

100 Day Plan Example – Your 3 Month Action Plan

The following is a sample 100 Day Plan that shows how to quickly and strategically build out your approach. You can simply customize this list, or you can use the list for inspiration to develop a more detailed plan in alignment with your or your new organization’s preferred format.

Before you get started:

• Continue to learn as much as you can about the organization and your team
• Have pre-meetings with identified stakeholders to discuss the game plan and listen for key expectations, core issues and opportunities
• Begin to map key stakeholders
• Get briefed on the employee, culture and communication landscape (set up an initial meeting with the Communications team, if possible)
• Consider having an informal visit with your new team over breakfast or lunch
• Prepare your elevator speech and/or your initial message platform
• Create a list for your Listening plans, outlining who all you need to meet with to hear perspectives, observe and tap for insights; set up meetings with key stakeholders (including senior leaders, peers, direct reports and skip-level reports/teams) ; if you don’t yet know their names, list their roles to prompt you to then find out the right point of contact
• Begin your listening “tour;” reinforce that you’re hearing what people are saying and make a point to circle back with anyone who asked a question that you couldn’t answer in the moment
• Connect with Communications and HR partners to understand the company culture and how communication happens
• Set the stage with your team and stakeholders with what to expect these first days and weeks, including what to continue to focus on and do
• Identify key contributors and any key people who are flight risks on your team and engage with them, including conducting stay interviews
• Actively participate in company onboarding so you experience what others also experience
• Continue listening tour
• Work with team members to codify strategy; involve people representing a cross-section of the organization whenever possible
• Identify communication channels you’ll regularly use to share updates on what you’re hearing, doing and thinking in advance of the formal launch of your communications plan
• Finalize your strategy and plan and socialize with key stakeholders for alignment
• Develop a communication plan for playback of listening and to share strategy going forward
• Refresh key messages and leader platform
• Implement communication plan
• Continue a steady cadence of employee listening, and update/amend the plan and messages in real-time based on new, viable insights that come from listening and any key changes within the business or your work environment

6 Strategies to Learn and Lead in Your First 100 Days

From our years of experience working with senior leaders as they navigate being new in their role while leading teams and organizations, we’ve compiled a list of six strategies that will help you learn while leading yourself and others with confidence and credibility.

1. Study up

Learn everything there is about the team or company you’re joining, but also spend the time where it counts so you don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis. Have a game plan leading up to your start date for what you need to know to hit the ground running, what you can learn along the way and how you want to get immersed. There’s plenty you can read online, but there’s so much more you can learn from inside the organization, especially by speaking with those who have the pulse.

Get to know the Communications and HR/People/Culture teams early on because they likely have a wealth of information about employee mindsets, hot-button issues and the best ways to reach and interact with employees. Many Communications teams we work with would be happy to help you know how information flows in the organization and what channels are best for leaders like you to get information and communicate effectively with your teams.

When an incoming senior executive was getting ready to join the organization, we partnered with the Communications team to develop an executive briefing book on the state of the workforce and how communication happens inside the company. There was a briefing meeting, great discussion and an opportunity for the leader to get to know the Communications team as they discussed shared needs and expectations so the leader could get connected and communicate effectively with key audiences. All of this led to a better, more actionable 100 Day Plan.

2. Figure out where to start

The first months are an exercise in drinking from a fire hose. Prioritizing is essential, but it can be hard to know where to start. Many leaders we’ve worked with have found it helpful to have a “working session.” In those sessions, we work with the leader to sort through critical business and communication demands and needs and then map their 100 Day Plan – with a particular eye on the next 30 days. These sessions give the leader a chance to step out of the day-to-day, assess the situation, determine priorities and frame a practical action plan for how to spend their time – always with business outcomes and stakeholder needs in mind. This session also sets the foundation for the key messages to convey and what to communicate and when.

3. Hit the road

Get out of your office . Whether you’re rounding, doing listening tours, road shows or coffees, get in front of as many people as you can so you get to know people across levels and roles in the organization. There’s nothing like being in person to ask questions, surface ideas and stories, read the room, feel the vibe and get a sense of what’s being said (and not said). If you can’t be in person, do your best to hit the road virtually with virtual office visits, coffees and the like. Make a commitment to visit those teams and sites as soon as possible when you can. This one is easy to put on the back burner, so make a point to schedule a set number of meet-and-greets per week to hold yourself accountable.

Asking questions during your onsite or virtual meetings is an important part of your listening. The best leaders lead by listening . They seek to understand, not to judge, and make this a regular part of how they lead. Find out why things are the way they are. Get to know people’s stories. Ask them what gets them excited to come to work, and what pain points or barriers they see and experience that get in the way. Make it about them, while also giving them a window into who you are.

As important as listening is, that doesn’t mean you can’t also share your story. As a leader, people need to know you first before they’ll get on board with your vision or strategy. Help them know who you are as a person and as a leader – what gets you excited, why you want to be a part of the team, how people who know you best describe you, what principles you live by and what brings you joy outside of work. All these things give others a chance to know you, how you tick and how you think about the world, which gives them a chance to have a human connection with you and to be able to help you deliver on your vision.

Another key part of sharing your story is being ready with your elevator speech and core messages. The elevator speech is the main message that you want to convey succinctly to your key stakeholders and audiences. Have your story ready and use it regularly from day one. You may customize this a bit for your various audiences and over time, but there’s power in being consistent overall.

Determining your Elevator Speech as a Leader New in Role

Keep it short and make it conversational. Speak to what your role is and how you’ve been here before in your previous role. Write it out so you’re thoughtful about what you want to convey. This is how many people will first remember you. For example:

Example Elevator Speech 1:

I’ve seen the power of transforming the employee experience and am excited to lead our team as we make it happen here together.

• This says you know employee experience and that you’ve been here before, which speaks to credibility and confidence in the role and where you’re going to take the team.
• This shows that you’re bringing energy and enthusiasm, and that you want to be part of the team because you view yourselves on a common journey aimed at getting results. This is motivating, speaks to a shared end game, and reinforces camaraderie and collaboration.

Example Elevator Speech 2:

Having a child with medical issues, I have immense appreciation for how much work goes into making great healthcare possible . I’m grateful to be part of this team and to partner together with you to improve access to great care for those we serve.

• Self discloses something personal and relatable, and establishes that this is a field of work that the person respects and appreciates.
• Sharing gratitude signals a person with character, humility and heart.
• Speaks to leading the team as colleagues, not subordinates, and that we’re in this together.
• Signals a vision of what’s possible that you want the team to work toward.

For senior-most executives, a best practice is having your own leadership message platform. Much like a “stump speech” for politicians, this is a set of key messages and stories to help you tell your story in a way that connects to your audiences and drives line of sight and engagement. It’s a useful tool for driving message consistency across communications and channels, as well as for saving time preparing for meetings and communications (for both the leader and the communicators who support them).

When leaders are new in role, the method of developing this platform is especially powerful in helping leaders think purposefully about how to articulate their story, their vision and their approach to shaping the strategy.

4. Have a stakeholder engagement and communication plan

The complement to your core messages is an engagement and communication plan. Whether you’re preparing your own, or have the support of your Communications team, this is a must so that you are intentional in your first 100 days (and beyond) about which stakeholders and audiences you are reaching, the best approach to do so and the outcome you want to see.

Take a few minutes to follow this 5-step method to plan your communication:

• OUTCOME: What’s the business goal for your engagement and outreach? As a leader new in role, your business goal may be to keep people focused on the current strategy, while you listen and determine the path forward. Or perhaps you need to stabilize the business and/or team. Whatever the situation, pinpoint what your business outcome is for the first 100 days.
• AUDIENCE: Who are the key audiences you need to engage and where are they coming from? Different audiences will have different perceptions and information needs – and the more you know about each, the more effective you’ll be at connecting with them and ultimately moving them to action. If you discover that you don’t know much about some audiences, it’s a signal you need to go and get to know them more.
• Why (rationale and context)
• What (what’s happening and what to focus on for now)
• When (a sense of timing for what’s happening and what’s to come)
• How (how you’re approaching the coming weeks, how they can help, how you’ll use their insights to develop your action plan)
• Who (who you are, what brings you here, what’s important to you, what they can expect from you and what you expect from them)
• WIIFM (what’s in it for “me” – in other words, what all of this means for them)
• METHOD: What’s the best way to reach them? Map your plan for how to connect with people in ways that foster conversation and the ability to share information freely and candidly. In-person is ideal. Consider where you need one-on-one conversations vs. where small group sessions or larger sessions – such as town halls – can be helpful. Maybe there are feedback channels you want to use or initiate. Consider the mix of methods.
• MEASURE: How do you know if the plan is working? You can learn a lot about what’s working based on the nature of the conversations you’re having, whether you sense people are sharing their views openly and the questions you’re getting. Engage your direct reports and Communications team to share insights and feedback on what they’re hearing. Consider whether informal or formal pulse checks would be useful to get a sense of things as well.

TIP: Having a stakeholder engagement and communication plan is a critical tool beyond your first 100 days, too. The best leaders are always purposeful about how they stay connected with stakeholders and audiences and how they’re showing up regularly through communications.

5. Resist the urge to make change right away

Most leaders are hired to be change agents, so it’s counterintuitive to say don’t come in and change things right away. Even if you think you know what needs to change, try to avoid making big changes in those first 100 days as it can usually cause more harm than help.

Typically, leaders use the first 100 days to listen and formulate an informed strategy, gain key stakeholder buy-in, and then they roll out the strategy in a thoughtful way, so the right audiences are reached at the right time and with the right message. To the greatest extent possible, let others be part of the strategy shaping so it’s the collective plan, not “your” plan alone. WATCH OUT: Without adequate upfront listening in the first 100 days, there’s an assumption that the leader may be uninterested, uninformed or misaligned with the company’s heritage, culture and people. Any which way, it’s a bad look, and it hinders your and the team’s ability to get things done if you come out of the gate with your mind made up about what needs to happen.

There are a few exceptions when making changes in the first 100 days could be the right option. Perhaps there are things you’ve heard and seen that are clearly broken and getting in the way of the employee experience that could be fixed right away and that signal your focus on the people. Or, perhaps something is happening that’s putting the organization at major risk and cannot wait for action. In those cases, immediate change may be the answer to stop the bleeding and/or to signal important and meaningful change right away.

Engage key stakeholders who have institutional perspective in the planning so you’re aware of blind spots or bright spots and leverage your Communications team so what’s communicated is done in the right way and casts a positive light on your approach and intention.

6. Be yourself

All eyes are on you as the new manager or leader, especially those first 100 days, and people are searching for meaning in everything you do (or don’t do). Consider your leadership style and what has served you well and will continue to serve you. Bring that forward with intentionality in how you show up. Check the old habits or ways of working that may not have been as effective at the door. Communicate with purpose.

Lead with heart – knowing that the best leaders today are those who bring authenticity, empathy and humanity to the workplace, so teams can be their best selves and deliver on their mission and goals in the best way.

Empathy is not a “soft” skill

Leaders who practice empathy have more engaged and higher-performing teams, as well as more profitable businesses overall. (Catalyst research study: “The Power of Empathy in Times of Crisis and Beyond,” Sept 2021)

• 79% of US workers agree empathetic leadership decreases employee turnover. (EY Consulting survey, Oct. 2021)
• 85% of employees report that empathetic leadership in the workplace increases productivity. (EY Consulting survey, Oct. 2021)

The Bottom Line

Being an executive leader in a new role comes with big responsibility and a lot of hard work. With the right preparation and thoughtful approach to how you lead and communicate in your first 100 days – and year – you can make your first weeks and months ones that recharge, inspire, motivate and chart the path for great work together to accomplish your goals and strengthen your company’s future.

Don’t feel you need to do this important work on your own. Let those with expertise in these areas partner with you so you can elevate your presence, focus your time where you can have the greatest impact on the business, and achieve the results you want faster and better. If you’d like to discuss ways we can help you get quick wins and plan for long-term impact, contact us today.

—Kate Bushnell

Set the right tone in your new role from the start by being purposeful, organized, and action-oriented with the help of this 100 Day Plan Template. Click the image below to download the 100 Day Plan Template today!

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Other posts you might be interested in, 4 ways to differentiate communication from information, reasons why your business strategy activation fails, communicating your strategic plan to employees, subscribe to the leadercommunicator blog.

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Lucy Lawless left 'Xena' behind 20 years ago, but she's still a fighter

She's been a mythical warrior, a cyborg, and a demon from hell. Now, Lawless plays a private detective from New Zealand with a fondness for justice and baking bread.

Lucy Lawless is well aware of the "long shadow" her iconic role in "Xena: Warrior Princess" has cast over her career.

The series, which aired 134 episodes across six seasons, is what introduced her to the masses. And while Lawless wasn't particularly fond of performing the show's grueling action scenes at the time, she carried that fighting spirit along with her well after "Xena" wrapped in 2001 — particularly in her drive to create stories she believes in.

Her latest, the Acorn TV series "My Life is Murder," is one example of a project Lawless fought to bring to life. In it, the actor plays private detective Alexa Crowe, who has a talent for solving bizarre murders that unfold in Australia and New Zealand.

While Lawless, 56, was immediately drawn to the charming, bread-baking PI, not everyone felt as strongly about bringing the character's story to the screen. But Lawless was determined to make it happen and opted to sign on as an executive producer.

"When you have the idea, but no money, you have to go fight for it," she says.

For the latest interview in BI's Role Play series , Lawless talks about hating her stuntwork on "Xena," why a reboot wouldn't be all that groundbreaking now, and what it was like grappling with the "culture of anxiety" when she joined the "Battlestar Galactica" cast.

On why getting cast as Xena was 'a great big cosmic joke'

It's been over 20 years since "Xena: Warrior Princess" ended. If you had the chance to do it all again, what would you do differently about the series?

Well, there's some things I probably would've left to early CGI, like fire-breathing… I just blew my eyebrows off! Crazy stuff like that. I wouldn't have done all the things where I got injured — I broke my pelvis on the Jay Leno show doing a "Xena" skit that I could have lived without. But not much else. It was great fun.

Is there anything about the show that you originally weren't keen on, but over time you've kind of come around on?

Yes, the action! I hated it every day of my life, and now I will say I don't want to do it ever again either, but it did me the power of good because I was forced to learn things that I'd been so hopeless at school.

My nickname at school was "Unco," for uncoordinated. Then suddenly to find myself cast as "Xena: Warrior Princess" was a great big cosmic joke.

Xena has become a queer icon because of her unofficial relationship with Gabrielle . If they ever managed to get a reboot off the ground again, would you prefer to see an outright gay Xena?

I don't think that would even be particularly mark-worthy these days, would it? The kids seem to be so down with all that stuff. It would be completely fine. Would I prefer it? Yeah, well I think the case was settled on that by the end of the series. We were like, "No, she's totally gay."

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But they didn't say it because in those days, people for whom that would've been against their beliefs, or whatever the hell, and who didn't want to see it, they didn't have to. People who did want to see it could. So it was sort of working on all levels in those days. But I think she definitely was gay, and that was part of the master plan.

Now I look back, and the writers all knew what they were doing and the fans picked up on it immediately. Renee [O'Connor] and I were the last to know. We saw it coming over the wire from the Village Voice that our characters were being held as a couple of gay icons. We were like, "What? Isn't that hilarious?" Well, we thought it was cool, and interesting, and edgy. But we had no idea that that was always the plan.

It seems like you get asked about the possibility of a "Xena" revival in every interview. I've just done it too. But do you feel like audiences now know you more for your other work?

It is interesting. I would say predominantly that "Xena" is the thing that's cast the longest shadow. But "Parks and Rec" has people who don't know what "Xena" is, but they do know "Parks and Rec" or "Curb Your Enthusiasm" or something. So that's lovely. I've covered a lot of different bases of related, but not necessarily overlapping, pools of audiences.

On the spoiler culture on 'Battlestar Galactica' and where Ron Swanson and Diane would be now

You also joined "Battlestar Galactica" in season two to play D'anna Biers. How did you handle establishing yourself in that kind of environment when the cast and crew have already figured out their working relationships?

That was a weird one. Because in my opinion, the actors were kept in a state of insecurity, which I don't agree with as an executive producer. I don't agree with that at all. Because they didn't want any spoilers getting out there at the time — people didn't know if they were going to be killed off, and they were extremely nervous.

So there was a culture of anxiety on that show.

Plus you're filming all day in the dark. You get to work in the dark, you are in space all day, and then you come out, and it's dark again. That isn't conducive to a very joyful, lighthearted environment, because human beings need the green of trees and the blue of the sky and all that stuff to be truly mentally happy and nourished on some level.

It was difficult coming in, because they felt if I was coming in, then one of them was on the way out. They were really nice people so I could tell it wasn't because they were awful, but there was a little bit of a culture of fear. And that was a shame.

Ten years ago you also played Diane, Ron Swanson's third wife in "Parks and Recreation." What do you think those two are doing in 2024?

I don't know, getting out the vote, I guess! That would be interesting because Ron would be on this crazy libertarian attack and I wonder if he would be… That might break them up actually, this election in America.

On 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' and wearing prosthetic entrails to lunch on set

In terms of your characters, Ruby in "Ash vs. Evil Dead" is a personal favorite.

Yeah. The wild, campy horror is great. What are the biggest challenges when working with gory prosthetics? I'm just thinking of season three when a demon baby eats its way out of Ruby…

It's just another day at the office. We didn't think twice about it. It was quite fun. I've got a lot of photos of me sitting about with four kilos of guts hanging out at the front of that dress.

Having to sit around in that all day and people having to eat with you, with your guts hanging out… it was kind of amusing. Bruce Campbell would think nothing of it.

The show wrapped up after three seasons, but Sam Raimi is still producing "Evil Dead" movies. What would you do with Ruby if you got the chance to revisit her?

I think we'd have the Ron Swanson relationship, where she could be Bruce's hideous wife. They'd have such a terrible relationship. It would be hilarious. They'd be incredibly unsupportive of one another and yet it'd be inescapable.

On thinking directing was a 'crap job' before she tried it herself

You've got nearly a hundred credits to your name. What's the one project you wish got more attention?

"My Life is Murder" and my new film, "Never Look Away," which is my directorial debut.

How did you come onto that project? Because a documentary about a war journalist is not something fans would typically associate you with.

I've been offered many times to direct, and it always looked like such a crap job. But I got an email from a guy called Joe Duran, who was the subject's best friend, and he said, "Do you want to make a film about Margaret Moth? I'm the heir to her estate and I've got all her photographs."

My mind flew back to 1992 when all of New Zealand was glued to CNN because one of our own, a CNN camera person, had her face shot off in Sarajevo and wasn't expected to survive. Well, Margaret did survive.

I wrote back and said, "Yes, I will find the money, and I will find the producers, and we will make this." A month later, we were saying, "Who do we get to direct this?" And somebody said, "Well, why don't you do it?"

And I was like, "No, come on. I don't direct." And then it became, "Well, yes, why don't I? Because nobody cares about this in the way that I do and nobody believes in it in the way that I do."

I was there before the money on that one, just like I was with "My Life is Murder." When you have the idea, but no money, you have to go fight for it. That's real producing.

Shooting "My Life is Murder" is like a ray of sunshine because I'm working with three of my best friends, and we laugh like idiots all day long. But then working on a film is incredible torture. It's terrifying, exciting, stressful, and I crave it.

So yeah, it's the best of both worlds.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

"My Life is Murder" season four is now streaming on Acorn TV .

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Business Planning Job Description

Business planning duties & responsibilities.

To write an effective business planning job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included business planning job description templates that you can modify and use.

Sample responsibilities for this position include:

Business Planning Qualifications

Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.

Licensing or Certifications for Business Planning

List any licenses or certifications required by the position: APICS, CPIM, PMP, CSCP, COO, CE, SAP, CSCMP, CPA, APIC

Education for Business Planning

Typically a job would require a certain level of education.

Employers hiring for the business planning job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and University Degree in Finance, Business, MBA, Accounting, Engineering, Economics, Business/Administration, Marketing, Communication, Management

Skills for Business Planning

Desired skills for business planning include:

Desired experience for business planning includes:

Business Planning Examples

• Microsoft Word (.docx) .DOCX
• PDF Document (.pdf) .PDF
• Image File (.png) .PNG
• Support other legal entity and business planning work streams as needed
• Business decision support for key management reporting & business planning cycles (month-end, forecast, long range plan, & budget)
• Accrual management experience should include supporting business partners to ensure a sound internal control environment
• Maintaining organization budgets/forecasts, tracking monthly actuals
• Assisting with month-to-month, forecast-to-forecast, & full year variance performance reporting for management
• Providing budget process information to supervisors to ensure forecasts are realistic, expenses are calendarized properly and plans are within forecasted levels
• Tracking of system allocations and subsequent interaction between the Sales, Customer Marketing, Marketing, and Forecasting Team
• Work closely with Sales Teams to ensure timely updates to allocations are provided, orders are placed and in line with projections, or providing direction for changes to stay within the program allocation limits
• Data Sync coordination between the Sales teams and 3rd party
• EPIC Analysis including root cause reports identifying what errors were corrected and presenting the information to Sales Operation Management
• Ability to extract large amounts of data (database mining skills) from Genesys and summarize that data into useful trend information
• Familiar with MS tools and other finance application SAP
• Extremely strong analytical skill set
• Passion for consumer technology & execution
• Commitment to excellence and sense of humor
• Building Value-Based Relationships (Proficient)
• Work to ensure expectations and demands are met working while balancing resources and working through logistical and technical obstacles
• The Business Planning Editor will work closely with our business teams in the U.S. and EMEA to make sure that we are collaborating as one global business unit, in addition to working with our Business Correspondents
• Dealing with the coverage planning, responding quickly to priorities to coordinate coverage desires to meet the newsgathering needs, both live and in taped form
• Ensuring coverage plans are well defined and full details are outlined in documented fashion (via iNews, email, coverage notes), including planned packages and anticipated live coverage
• Providing full support in regard to essential coordination and logistical planning decisions as needed by newsgathering and programming needs
• Staying fiscally responsible, and planning coverage that is within budget constraints
• Work on confirming emerging stories for reporting on our air, and looking for elements to help visually enhance the story telling
• Look to service our digital platforms, namely the CNN Money vertical, to which TV is closely aligned
• Full knowledge of Company policies and practices and their effective oversight are also part of the duties
• Build budget models for expenses and capital for assigned business unit, and once reviewed load into corporate budget application
• Experience in developing, maintaining and delivering metrics
• Ability to develop and implement detailed work plans that support key deliverables
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite and Adobe
• Experience analyzing business operations and identifying areas for financial performance (based on return on investment (ROI), compounded annual growth rates, payback, internal rate of return (IRR), pretax and after tax earnings, targeted profit margins, FCF, present value)
• Openness to tackling projects of varying size and complexity with evolving requirements
• Undergraduate degree is required and Post Graduate degree is an asset
• Provide business case, ROI and payback analysis (e.g., total cost of ownership, lease vs
• Manage the processing and scheduling of customer orders
• Scheduling and procurement of materials
• Manage and control of WIP / finished goods inventory
• Arrange for shipment of orders
• Interact with salary and union-represented personnel
• Orchestrate impact analysis and recommendations across business strategy, engineering, legal, research, finance, sales teams
• Track progress of the operating plan against the targets (operational scorecards) on a weekly basis, communicate gaps and impacts to the leadership & recommend approach for getting back on track gap
• Orchestrate the Planning Playbooks (value prop, brand, product experience, channel strategy, customer experience) for large program launches
• Key team member on business strategic projects
• Bachelor’s Degree and up to 2 years (or MBA) of business experience, Sales, Category Management
• Manager, Business Planning
• Demand Planning Team
• A minimum of 5 years in an editorial and business newsgathering environment Full knowledge of TV news logistics, technical requirements
• Ability to handle multiple tasks under stressful contentions
• Organized, exceptional interest in world news with strong communication skills
• Support projects and programs with relevant information and data
• Track the implementation of New Product Introduction (NPI’s)
• Work across business operations functions to optimize order and shipment management
• End to end responsibility for specific projects and programs
• Define project/ program KPI’s
• Follow up with channel, region, country and GBU teams on the implementation
• Define in- country needs for support
• Support the countries with the required help to achieve their business objectives
• Assisting with business cases
• Coordinate and manage “(HIAMS)AM OD meeting” with other department members (mainly DE and/or S&M) which involves many other corporate department of the organization (Executive management, DE, S&M, Procurement, F&A, PM, PE) and manufacturing locations in Americas region
• Prior newsgathering and field experience desired
• Be willing to work unpredictable hours and quick to adapt to changes that affect each show, and be ready to travel with short notice
• Pricing Schemes & Trade Spend o Analyse and review actual net pricing against approved scheme on monthly basis
• Preferably Degree-educated in Finance, Economics or Business Administration
• Some professional experience in an analytics role preferred
• Excellent communication, presentational and partnering skills
• Monitor and update any change in regards to company standards and rules where applicable
• Support various management meetings by coordinating the meeting schedule, creating required documents and presentations including analyzing the information and/or data, and issuing the meeting note and follow up open items
• Create and maintain database which will be utilized for analysis
• Support to establish regional business strategy by preparing Regional Business Plan documents with cooperation of other related corporate department of organization
• Perform BPC System support such as researching, documenting or updating basic functionality such as input schedules, master data, data flow and calculation logic
• Support development, implementation and testing of BPC system enhancements
• Coordinate and analyze the data and assumptions that drive forecast/plan results
• Create/Maintain presentations, spreadsheets, reports, or other metric-driven tools
• Communicate and support the forecast/planning process analytical results effectively in both verbal and written form to Planning leadership and other functional teams
• Role may be globally-focused, or oriented
• Bachelors’ or Masters’ degree or equivalent in business or finance
• Bachelor's degree in business administration or a quantitative field
• Previous experience with planning tools, Anaplan, Hyperion Planning, is preferred
• Experience in relational database systems/data warehousing systems such as SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Redshift, Oracle, MySQL preferred
• Work experience in electronic repair/ depot services /reverse logistics services
• Customer negotiations and pricing

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What They Do

What does a Business Planner do?

A business planner specializes in developing and implementing business plans and procedures. Their job entails conducting extensive research and analyses to identify key business participants, determine the strengths and weaknesses of existing operations, and find new business opportunities. They also perform risk assessments, address potential operational costs, and identify issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Through their research findings, a business planner develops strategies to optimize operations and prevent significant losses when problems arise, helping the company run smoothly and efficiently.

• Responsibilities
• Skills And Traits
• Comparisions
• Types of Business Planner

Business planner responsibilities

According to Marykate Conroy , Director of Career Development & Employer Relations at The Busch School of Business, "database querying languages, statistical analysis software, data visualization, data mining, and programming skills" are important for business planners. Resumes often highlight responsibilities such as "owned all purchasing, planning and expediting, and placed POs based on MTO lead times in Oracle ERP" and "developed strategies to expand revenue and profitability with key OEM customers in India and China." Additionally, business planners may "coordinate with QA/QC monitoring all production documentation and certification according to manufacturing ISO 9001 standards are completed and closed" and "manage supply-planning process of inventory control, demand planning & material planning for 8 Gatorade/Propel production lines & 2 co-pack locations."

Here are examples of responsibilities from real business planner resumes:

• Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
• Coordinate logistics with multiple carrier partners and multiple distribution centers.
• Coordinate raw material logistics, serum manufacturing, gamma irradiation processing and other serum processes with third party contract manufacturers.
• Lead monthly and quarterly EAC forecasting and consolidate forecasts in support of corporate financial reporting.

Business planner skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10 % of Business Planners are proficient in Data Analysis , Strong Analytical , and Financial Analysis . They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills , Analytical skills , and Communication skills .

We break down the percentage of Business Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Provided written data analysis and reports for Access Business Group using critical, time sensitive information received from numerous data vendors.

Delegated daily assignments to floor managers and exercised strong analytical skills to investigate and swiftly resolve customer issues.

Administered demographic analysis, market research, and financial analysis to further business development.

Functioned as Business Plan liaison between cross-function support organizations and Stamping Manufacturing Managers, communicating Stamping Business Planning objectives and initiatives.

Project Manager responsibilities supporting Global Purchasing & Supply Chain Executive Director.

Attended CEDM teleconferences: facilitated Logistics portion of information sharing and updates regarding Western/Central areas.

Most business planners use their skills in "data analysis," "strong analytical," and "financial analysis" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential business planner responsibilities here:

Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a business planner to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "urban and regional planners must be able to manage projects, which may include overseeing tasks and planning assignments." Business planners often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "influenced executive leadership to execute annual business development plans which yielded double-digit year-over-year growth in key categories. "

Analytical skills. Another essential skill to perform business planner duties is analytical skills. Business planners responsibilities require that "urban and regional planners analyze information and data from a variety of sources, such as market research studies, censuses, and environmental impact studies." Business planners also use analytical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "served as sole finance support for the central oem sales team providing financial business case analysis. "

Communication skills. This is an important skill for business planners to perform their duties. For an example of how business planner responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "urban and regional planners must be able to communicate clearly and effectively because they interact with colleagues and stakeholders, prepare research reports, give presentations, and meet with a wide variety of audiences, including public officials, interest groups, and community members." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a business planner: "loaded purchase orders, expedited shortages, and ensured constant flow production on high volume telecommunications (box build) line. ".

Most common business planner skills

The three companies that hire the most business planners are:

• Microsoft 102 business planners jobs
• Slice, Inc. 9 business planners jobs
• HP 4 business planners jobs

Choose from 10+ customizable business planner resume templates

Compare different business planners

Business planner vs. supply chain analyst.

A supply chain analyst is responsible for handling the supply chain operations of an organization, aligning processes, and identifying areas of improvement to initiate procedures and create smooth supply delivery transactions. Supply chain analysts monitor the adequacy of stock inventory, including the trends in the market industry, to meet the public demands and ensuring that the business provides those interests. They also evaluate the supply cycle, from the planning stages to the final distribution, and analyzing aspects to minimize complexities and cost-reduction without compromising the quality of services.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a business planner are more likely to require skills like "financial analysis," "business plan," "market research," and "business processes." On the other hand, a job as a supply chain analyst requires skills like "customer service," "power bi," "continuous improvement," and "chain management." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Business planner vs. Urban design consultant

An urban design consultant is in charge of many projects, and so they have to oversee tasks and plan assignments. They are skilled in creating interior design solutions, space planning, sketching, and product selection. They have to analyze information and data gotten from market research studies and censuses. They also have to do presentations and prepare reports.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real business planner resumes. While business planner responsibilities can utilize skills like "data analysis," "strong analytical," "financial analysis," and "business plan," urban design consultants use skills like "gis," "urban design," "sketch," and "landscape architecture."

Business planner vs. Planning internship

When it comes to planning an internship, an intern's duties will depend on the directives of supervising staff or a manager. Typically, an intern's responsibilities will revolve around performing clerical tasks such as processing documents, producing reports and presentations, responding to calls and correspondence, and managing schedules. There are also instances where an intern must share ideas and insights, attend meetings, maintain records, update databases, and assist staff in various tasks while under more experienced colleagues' supervision.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, business planners are more likely to have skills like "strong analytical," "supply chain," "logistics," and "demand planning." But a planning internship is more likely to have skills like "gis," "data collection," "arcgis," and "project management."

Business planner vs. Housing grant analyst

Types of business planner.

• Planning Manager

Supply Chain Analyst

Transportation planner, space planner.

• Facilities Planner

Updated June 25, 2024

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What Similar Roles Do

• What an Associate Planner Does
• What a City Planner Does
• What a Community Development Planner Does
• What a Community Planner Does
• What a Facilities Planner Does
• What a Housing Grant Analyst Does
• What a Land Planner Does
• What a Planner Does
• What a Planner/Buyer Does
• What a Planning Internship Does
• What a Planning Manager Does
• What a Program Planner Does
• What a Regional Planner Does
• What a Senior Planner Does
• What a Space Planner Does

Business Planner Related Careers

• Associate Planner
• City Planner
• Community Development Planner
• Community Planner
• Housing Grant Analyst
• Land Planner
• Planner/Buyer
• Planning Internship
• Program Planner
• Regional Planner
• Senior Planner
• Site Planner

Business Planner Related Jobs

Resume for related jobs.

• Planner Resume
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