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Until exposed to the actual choices,
many companies incorrectly believe that there is just one type of Business Plan
that is "ideal".
As a practical matter, however, a
given plan should reflect the characteristics and the specific situation of the
individual company – both currently and also in terms of the changes that can be
reasonably anticipated in the period covered by the Plan.
There are, for example, the following
types of Business Plan to consider:
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The Technology Roll-out Business Plan
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The
Market Positioning Business Plan
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The Sales Oriented Business Plan
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The Manufacturing Based Business Plan
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The
Acquisition
Oriented Business Plan
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The "Issue" or "Problem-Solving"
Business Plan
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The Financial Business Plan
Because the situation surrounding a
company changes over time ... and because the fundamental nature of the company
itself also changes over time ... the company must be prepared to develop
successive Business Plans. The planning process should reflect this awareness.
The Business Plan document should itself be set up so that it can be adjusted
easily. The least effective approach is often one that makes the planning
process and the Business Plan document overly formal and expensive.
"Quick-and-dirty" is usually both more economical and more directly useful as a
basis for guiding the company's critical day-to-day operations and the decisions
it should be making within an established, overall strategic framework.
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