One page biz plan - Jim Horan

5 questions
1.Vision: What are you building?
2.Mission: Why does this business exist?
3.Objectives: What results will you measure?
4.Strategies: How will you build this business?
5.Action Plans: What is the work to be done?
You can replace the word "business" with department, institution, church, minist
ry, program, etc.
10-point checkup for consultancy business
1. New client acquisition
2. Marketing
3. Sales
4. Strategic alliances
5. Consulting delivery
6. Public speaking
7. Productization
8. Professional develeopment
9. Administrative functions
10. Profitability/Cash flow
Reasons for low scores?
- Failture to implement
- Half-heartedness
- People
- Process
- Time
- Money
- External
Identify 3-4 key areas, design action steps
1. VISION
- What are you building?
- <3 sentences
- Consider: what type of company are you, markets, geography scope, target custo
mers, key products/services, revenue, # employees
"Within the next ____ years grow (company name) into a $(annual sales) (geograph
ical scope - local/region/int'l) (type of biz) company providing (list 2-3 key p
roduct/services) to (list 2-3 key customers/markets).
2. MISSION
- Who will you serve and what will we do for them?
- 6 to 8 words for mission statement
- Why do we exist? Try 1-8 keywords. Value proposition.
- "We help (recipient of your services) (goal or benefit of your services)!"
E.g. we make companies smarter about their biz, we provide doctors training that
prevents injuries and saves lives.
3. OBJECTIVES
- what will be measured?
- objectives must be specific + measurable
- all objectives must be graphable! (e.g. billable hours, speaking events, etc.
- pick goals that are critical to your success and can be easily tracked (data a
vailable)
- three simple guidelines

(1)Write only objectives that can be graphed

(2)Include a numerical value in every objective
(3)Assign a name and date to ensure accountability
- Action to be taken + Something countable + Target completion date
e.g. Increase revenue from $90k in 2006 to $150k in 2007.Commit to write 2 artic
les per quarter, total 8 per year.
4. STRATEGIES
-How will this biz be built?
-direction, biz model, philosophy
- define biz activity + expected results + how will it be done
- bending the curve exercise, strategies, action plans.
5. ACTION PLANS
- Desciption of work + completion date = plan
- One page plan wheel (time in quarters)
Review
- vision statements paint a graphical picture of what is being built
- mission statements, short <8words
- objectives always graphable
- strategies describe how biz biz will be built
- action plan describe the work to be done and have completion dates