PROJECT BASED LEARNING MATERIAL

HOW TO USE THIS PROJECT BASED LEARNING MATERIAL

Welcome to the module
“Improving Business Practice”.
This module contains training materials and activities for you to complete. The unit of competency
“Improving Business Practice” contains knowledge, skills and attitudes required for Vehicle
Servicing. It is one of the Core Modules at National Certificate Level III.
You are required to go through a series of learning activities in order to complete each Learning
outcome of the module. In each learning outcome there are Information Sheets, Resource Sheets and
reference materials for further reading to help you better understand the required activities. Follow
these activities on your own and answer the self-check at the end of each learning outcome and
compare your answer with the feedback provided. Check your work honestly. If you have questions,
please don’t hesitate to ask your facilitator for assistance.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
You may already have some or most of the knowledge and skills covered in this module because you
have:
 been working for sometime
 Already completed training in this area

If you can demonstrate to your trainer that you are competent in a particular skill or skills, talk to
him/her about having them formally recognized so you don’t have to do the same training again. If
you have qualifications or Certificates of Competency from previous trainings, show them to your
trainer. If the skills you acquired are still relevant to this module, they may become part of the
evidence you can present for RPL.
At the end of this learning material is a Learner’s Diary, use this diary to record important dates, jobs
undertaken and other workplace events that will assist you in providing further details to your
trainer or assessors. A Record of Achievement is also provided for your trainer to complete once you
completed the module.
This learning material was prepared to help you achieve the required competency in Servicing
Lubricating System. This will be the source of information for you to acquire the knowledge and skills
in this particular trade independently and at your own pace with minimum supervision or help from
your instructor.
In doing the activities to complete the requirements of this module, please be guided by the following:
 Talk to your trainer and agree on how you will both organize the training under this
Module. Read through the module carefully. It is divided into sections which cover all the
Skills and knowledge you need to successfully complete.
 Work through all information and complete the activities in each section. Read the
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Information sheets and complete the self-checks provided. Suggested references are
Included to supplement the materials provided in this module.
Most probably your trainer will also be your supervisor or manager. He/she is there to
 Support you and show you the correct way to do things. Ask for help.
 Your trainer will tell you about the important things you need to consider when you are
Completing the activities and it is important that you listen and take notes.
 You will be given plenty of opportunities to ask questions and practice on the job. Make
Sure you practice your new skills during regular work shifts. This way you will improve
Both your speed and memory and also your confidence.
 Talk to more experienced work mates and ask for their guidance.
 Use self-check questions at the end of each section to test your own progress.
 When you are ready, ask your trainer to watch you perform the activities outlined in this
Module.
 As you work through the activities, ask for written feedback on your progress. Your
Trainer keeps feedback/pre-assessment reports for this reason. When you have
completed this learning material and feel confident that you had sufficient knowledge and
Skills, your trainer will arrange an appointment with a registered assessor to assess you.
The results of the assessment will be recorded in your Competency Achievement
Record

Instruction Sheet
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following
content coverage and topics –
 Analyze suspension, brake and steering system
 Identify nature and scope of work
 WHS requirement
 Source procedures and information
 Select and prepare Method options
 Source and support technical and/or measurement
 Observe warnings
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LEARNING MODULE:
Overhauling Diesel and Gasoline Fuel Injection System and Its Components
TVET PROGRAM TITLE:
MODULE TITLE: - Improving Business Practice
NOMINAL DURATION: 50 hours
MODULE DESCRIPTION: This unit covers the knowledge, skills and attitudes required in
promoting, improving and growing business operations.
Learning Outcome

LO1. Diagnose the business

LO2. Benchmark the business
LO3. Develop plans to improve business performance
LO4. Develop marketing plans
LO5. Develop business growth plans
LO6. Implement and monitor plans
MODULE CONTENTS:
1. Diagnose the business
1.1 Data sources
 primary data and secondary sources
1.2 Data required
Organization capability Revenue growth rate
Appropriate business structure Break even data
Level of client service which can be Pricing policy
provided Revenue assumptions
Internal policies, procedures and Business environment
practices Economic conditions
Staff levels, capabilities and structure Social factors
Market and market definition Demographic factors
Market changes/market segmentation Technological impacts
Market consolidation/fragmentation Political/legislative/regulative impacts
Revenue Competitors, competitor pricing and
Level of commercial activity response to pricing
Expected revenue levels, short and long Competitor marketing/branding
term Competitor products
1.3 SWOT analysis
Internal strengths such as staff capability, recognized quality
Internal weaknesses such as poor morale, under-capitalization, poor technology
External opportunities such as changing market and economic conditions
External threats such as industry fee structures, strategic alliances, competitor
marketing
1.4 Competitive advantage
• Quality • Technology
• Pricing • Delivery
• Cost • Timeframe
• Location • Promotion
2. Benchmark the business
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2.1 Key indicators
Staffing Price structure
Cost and expenses Customers base
Personnel productivity Productivity
Goodwill Quality
Profitability System
3. Develop plans to improve business performance
3.1 Organizational structures
• Lines of authority and reporting relationship
4. Develop marketing plans
4.1 Objectives
Market share growth Productivity
Revenue growth Innovation
Profitability
4.2 Market position
The goods or service provided
Product mix
The core product - what is bought?
The tangible product - what is perceived?
The augmented product - total package of consumer
Features/benefits
Product differentiation from competitive products
New/changed products
Price and pricing strategies (cost plus, supply/demand, ability to pay, etc.)
Pricing objectives (profit, market penetration, etc.)
Cost components
Market position
Distribution strategies
Marketing channels
Promotion
Target audience
Communication
4.3 Practice brand
Practice image Templates for communication/invoicing
Practice logo/letterhead/signage Style guide
Phone answering protocol Writing style
Facility decor AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action)
Slogans
1.4 Benefits
Features as perceived by the client
Benefits as perceived by the client

1.5 Promotion tools

Networking and referrals Publicity and sponsorship

Seminars Brochures
Sales promotion Press releases
Advertising Newsletters (print and/or electronic)
Personal selling Websites
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Direct mail Telemarketing/cold calling
5. Develop business growth plans
5.1 Ranking
Importance
Urgency
Technology
Resource availability
6. Implement and monitor plans
6.1 Relevant stockholders
Micro and Small Enterprises development
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
Finance institutions
Capital goods leasing enterprise
LEARNING METHODS
EIS VEO3 M09 1117
Item Description/ Recommended Ratio
Category/Item Quantity
No. Specifications (Item: Trainee)
A. Learning Materials
1. Reference Books 1:10
To be prepared by the
2. TTLM 1:1
Trainer
Learning Facilities &
B.
Infrastructure
1. Class rooms 1:30
C. Consumable Materials
1. paper
2. parker
3. Pen(reed& black )
D. Tools and Equipments
1. projector
2. Computer
Lecture- Discussion
Group assignment

ASSESMENT METHODS
Interview / Oral questioning / Written Test
Observation/Demonstration

Resource requirement

Information Sheet-1
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1. DIAGNOSE THE BUSINESS

1.1. Data required for diagnosis is determined and acquired. Data required includes:
• Organization capability:
• Appropriate business structure
• Level of client service which can be provided
• Internal policies, procedures and practices
• Staff levels, capabilities and structure
• Market, market definition:
Diagnosis derives from an old Greek word meaning to know or discern. The word has a long history in
medicine, where the notion is one of identifying the root cause of an ailment. You cannot cure if you
do not know what is really causing the ailment in the first place.
The crossover to business is straightforward. To diagnose a business problem is to determine the
source. Executives who can’t diagnose end up treating symptoms or maybe even nothing at all. The
problem probably keeps getting worse. When things in business start going bad, the deterioration
usually accelerates until there is active and focused intervention. If an executive can’t figure out why
whatever is wrong is wrong, the executive can’t fix it; executives who can’t fix things are at best nice
people who are no help and do not get in the way. Almost certainly, they impede performance,
competitiveness and progress.
Diagnosis may not be easy in business but there are things that can improve an executive’s chances of
getting it right.
First, define the problem properly. Time spent getting good definition of a problem is usually time
well spent. It is only by luck that you will correctly diagnose a problem that you have not properly
defined. Executives need to curb the natural instinct to immediately leap to the diagnosis and cure
stages.
Second, listen. Much of the information needed to diagnose the cause of a problem invariably comes
from the people associated with the problem. To get the needed information requires asking the right
questions of the right people and then having the discipline to be quiet and listen closely. Determining
the right questions to ask too often gets short shrift, with predictable consequences for
Third, analyze. Analysis is another key to proper diagnosis. Try to quantify the problem at hand;
develop hypotheses on causes; collect data; study the data in light of the hypotheses; keep digging in
the data; keep an open mind; go where the data and the analysis takes you. So called fact-based
decision-making is simply decision-making based on the analysis of facts. Bad decisions are often
explained afterwards by inadequate analysis.
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Fourth, know the history. Problems usually have long tails through time; they only look like they
come right out of the blue. Knowing the history of a problem increases the chances of a good
diagnosis.
Fifth, think. Listening is tough; thinking is even tougher. But when it comes to figuring out the causes
of a problem, you are unlikely to get far without concentrated thought. Think it through is wonderful
advice. After the fact, you don’t want to be saying we never thought of that but in hindsight, it should
have been obvious.
Sixth, get advice from experts. No executive knows everything. There is a lot of professional expertise
out there that can be brought to bear on the cause of a problem. Physicians are forever consulting
colleagues; executives should do the same.
1.2. Competitive advantage of the business is determined from the data SWOT analysis of the
data is undertaken.

Competitive advantage includes:

• Services/products

Product is: A good, idea, method, information, object or service created as a result of a process and
serves a need or satisfies a want. It has a combination of tangible and intangible attributes (benefits,
features, functions, uses) that a seller offers a buyer for purchase. For example a seller of a toothbrush
not only offers the physical product but also the idea that the consumer will be improving the health of
their teeth.
Service is: Intangible products such as accounting, banking, cleaning, consultancy, education,
insurance, expertise, medical treatment, or transportation.
Competitive Advantage
An advantage that a firm has over its competitors, allowing it to generate greater sales or margins
and/or retains more customers than its competition. There can be many types of competitive
advantages including the firm's cost structure, product offerings, distribution network and customer
support.
Competitive Advantage
Competitive advantages give a company an edge over its rivals and an ability to generate greater value
for the firm and its shareholders. The more sustainable the competitive advantage, the more difficult it
is for competitors to neutralize the advantage.
There are two main types of competitive advantages: comparative advantage and differential
advantage. Comparative advantage, or cost advantage, is a firm's ability to produce a good or service
at a lower cost than its competitors, which gives the firm the ability sell its goods or services at a lower
price than its competition or to generate a larger margin on sales. A differential advantage is created
when a firm's products or services differ from its competitors and are seen as better than a competitor's
products by customers.
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1.3 SWOT Analysis of the data is taken
What is SWOT analysis?
As mentioned above, the process of SWOT analysis evaluates your company’s strengths, weaknesses,
market opportunities and potential threats to provide competitive insight into the potential and critical
issues that impact the overall success of the business. Further, the primary goal of a SWOT
analysis is to identify and assign all significant factors that could positively or negatively impact
success to one of the four categories, providing an objective and in-depth look at your business.
Highly useful for developing and confirming your organizational goals, each of the four categories
provides specific insights that can be used to cultivate a successful marketing strategy, including:
 Strengths – Positive attributes internal to your organization and within your control. Strengths
often encompass resources, competitive advantages, the positive aspects of those within your
workforce and the aspects related to your business that you do particularly well, focusing on all
the internal components that add value or offer you a competitive advantage.
 Weaknesses – Factors that are within your control yet detract from your ability to obtain or
maintain a competitive edge such as limited expertise, lack of resources, limited access to skills
or technology, substandard services or poor physical location.
 Opportunities – Summary of the external factors that represent the motivation for your
business to exist and prosper within the marketplace. These factors include the specific
opportunities existing within your market that provide a benefit, including market growth,
lifestyle changes, resolution of current problems or the basic ability to offer a higher degree of
value in relation to your competitors to promote an increase in demand for your products or
services. One element to be aware of is timing. For example, are the opportunities you’re
catering to ongoing or is there a limited window of opportunity?
 Threats – External factors beyond the control of your organization that have the potential to
place your marketing strategy, or the entire business, at risk. The primary and ever-present
threat is competition. However, other threats can include unsustainable price increases by
suppliers, increased government regulation, economic downturns, negative press coverage,
shifts in consumer behavior or the introduction of “leap-frog” technology that leaves your
products or services obsolete. Though these forces are external and therefore beyond your
control, SWOT analysis may also aid in the creation of a contingency plan that will enable you
to quickly and effectively address these issues should they arise.

2. Benchmark The Business

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Benchmarking is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance ... Also referred
to as "best practice benchmarking"
Key indicators for benchmarking are selected in consultation with key stakeholders.
Key indicators may include:
•Salary cost and staffing
•Personnel productivity (particularly of principals): Workforce productivity is the amount of goods
and services that a worker produces in a given amount of time. It is one of several types of
productivity that economists measure. Workforce productivity can be measured for a firm, a process,
an industry, or a country. It is often referred to as labor productivity because it was originally studied
only with respect to the work of laborers as opposed to managers or professional.
•Profitability:Profit (accounting), the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing
to market
-Profit (economics), has two related but distinct meanings: Normal profit and Economic profit
•Fee structure: A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for
overhead, wages, costs, and markup.
•Client base: A customer (sometimes known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient of a
good , service , product , or idea,
•size staff/principal
•Overhead/ overhead control: business, overhead or overhead expense refers to an ongoing expense of
operating a business; it is also known as an "operating expense". Examples include rent, gas,
electricity, and wages. The term overhead is usually used when grouping expenses that are
necessary to the continued functioning of the business but cannot be immediately associated with the
products or services being offered (i.e. do not directly generate profits).[1] Closely related
accounting concepts are fixed costs and variable costs as well as indirect costs and direct costs.

How to Benchmark Your Business

Benchmarking means comparing the operation of your business to other, similar businesses and
establishing a performance level that you try to reach. It starts with identifying business processes that
are measurable and that exist in other businesses. A survey indicates which business performs the best
with regard to this process, and this level of performance is typically chosen as the benchmark. You
can then examine why your performance is not as good and take measures to improve it. Such
benchmarking allows you to distinguish the business areas that are doing well from those that need
improvement and focus on the latter.

Key Performance Indicators

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Key performance indicators are specific measurements used to gauge performance. They're a way to
precisely measure performance. For example, in manufacturing, a key performance indicator might be
the production of a specific amount of product within a particular time. In sales, the number of new
accounts might be a key performance indicator. Like benchmark indicators, performance indicators
can be goals, but they're more like steps on the way to the larger goal. You also can think of key
performance indicators as a way to measure your progress toward the benchmark goal and to gauge
how close you are to reaching that goal.
Using Benchmarks and Key Performance Indicators
Benchmarks and key performance indicators can motivate employees, giving them measurable goals
to achieve. They can help you see how your company measures up to others in the industry.
Benchmarks are one way to readily identify areas where you need to improve. Key performance
indicators can help you in planning, and they're useful for evaluating employees.
Common Marketing KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Setting marketing goals and tracking them will help you set budgets, monitor results, adjust spending
and maximize your sales and performance. Once you’ve set goals, it’s important to determine whether
meeting them is providing you the bang for the buck you’veinvested. Setting results benchmarks, also
known as key performance indicators, will help you better plan selling methods.
Sales
The most obvious KPI in marketing is sales. In addition to gross sales, track sales by distribution
channel to determine whether wholesalers, retailers, sales reps, direct- response methods or online
selling tools work best for you. If you sell using different retailers, look at your sales volumes, margins
and gross profits from each store. Looking at percentage increases in sales can tell you where you have
the most opportunity to grow, showing that one or more of your smaller territories or sales channels
might provide your best exponential growth opportunity. If your company buys or generates sales
leads, track where they come from, how many convert to sales and the quality of the sales generated
by each lead generator.
Brand Awareness
One of the functions of marketing is to make consumers aware of your brand. This can help shift
consumers from being unplanned impulse buyers to repeat buyers who look for your product or
service when shopping. Brand awareness can also help develop brand preference and loyalty. Use
consumer surveys before and after an advertising campaign or consumer promotion to determine the
impact of your marketing efforts on consumer awareness of your product of service.

Repeat Business
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It often takes marketing dollars to get a customer to buy from you the first time, while repeat
customers often require no further marketing spending. Customer service efforts can be a critical part
of your marketing, because they help maintain consumer loyalty. If possible, try to determine how
much of your business comes from repeat business and evaluate the customer loyalty programs you
use. Customer loyalty programs include discount cards, birthday and buyer clubs, and invitation-
only offers.
Market Share
In addition to increasing sale volumes, increasing market share is an important goal for businesses.
This will require you to take sales away from one or more competitors. Your marketing strategies to
do this might include offering free samples, honoring competitor coupons, reducing your price or
selling where your competition sells. Measuring your market share not only helps you determine if
your marketing efforts are increasing your piece of the pie, but also if you are losing ground to
competitors.
3. DEVELOP PLANS TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
3.1. A consolidated list of required improvements is developed
3.2. Cost-benefit ratios for required improvements are determined
3.3. Work flow changes resulting from proposed improvements are determined
3.4. Proposed improvements are ranked according to agreed criteria
3.5. An action plan to implement the top ranked improvements is developed and agreed
3.6. Organizational structures are checked to ensure they are suitable.

Organizational structures include:

• Legal structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Company, corporation.)
• Organizational structure/hierarchy
• Reward schemes: Reward system refers to all the monetary, non-monetary and psychological
payments that an organization provides for its employees in exchange for the work they perform.
’Rewards schemes may include extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards are items such as
financial payments and working conditions that the employee receives as part of the job. Intrinsic
rewards relate to satisfaction that is derived from actually performing the job such as personal
fulfillment, and a sense of contributing something to society. Many people who work for charities, for
example, work for much lower salaries than they might achieve if they worked for commercial
organizations. In doing so, they are exchanging extrinsic rewards for the intrinsic reward of doing
something that they believe is good for society.

Basic Forms of Business Ownership

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1. A Sole Proprietorship is a business that is owned, and usually managed, by one person; it is the
most common form.
2. A Partnership is a legal form of business with two or more owners.
3. A Corporation is a legal entity with authority to act and have liability separate from its owners.
Each form of business ownership has its advantages and its disadvantages.
I. Sole Proprietorships.
1. Advantages of Sole Proprietorships.
A. Ease Of Starting And Ending The Business. All You Need Is A Permit From The Local
Government.
B. Being Your Own Boss. Working For Yourself Is Exciting.
C. Pride of Ownership. Sole Proprietors Have Taken The Risk And Deserve The Credit.
D. Leaving A Legacy Behind For Future Generations.
E. Retention of Company Profits. You Don=T Have To Share Profits with Anyone.
F. No Special Taxes. Profits Of The Business Are Taxed As The Personal Income Of The Owner.
2. Disadvantages of Sole Proprietorships.
A. Unlimited Liability Is The Responsibility Of Business Owners For All Of The Debts Of The
Business.
B. Limited Financial Resources. Funds Available Are Limited To The Funds That The Sole Owner
Can Gather.
C. Management Difficulties. Many Owners Are Not Skilled At Record Keeping.
D. Overwhelming Time Commitment. The Owner Has No One With Whom To Share The Burden.
E. Few Fringe Benefits. Fringe Benefits Can Add Up To 30% Of A Worker=S Income.
F. Limited Growth.
G. Limited Life Span. If The Sole Proprietor Dies Or Leaves, The Business Ends.
II. PARTNERSHIPS.
A. A partnership is a legal form of business with two or more owners.
B. TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS.
A. A GENERAL PARTNERSHIP is a partnership in which all owners share in operating the business
and in assuming liability for the business=s debts.
B. A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP is a partnership with one or more general partners and one or more
limited partners.
a. A GENERAL PARTNER is an owner (partner) who has unlimited liability and is active in
managing the firm.
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b. A LIMITED PARTNER is an owner who invests money in the business but does not have any
management responsibility or liability for losses beyond the investment.
Advantages of Partnerships.
1. MORE FINANCIAL RESOURCES. Two or more people pool their money and credit.
2. SHARED MANAGEMENT AND POOLED/
3. COMPLEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE. Partners provide different skills and perspectives.
4. LONGER SURVIVAL. Partners are four times as likely to succeed as sole proprietorships.
5. NO SPECIAL TAXES. All profits of partners are taxed as personal income of the owners.
Disadvantages of Partnerships.
1. UNLIMITED LIABILITY.
1.2. You Are Liable For Your Partners' Mistakes As Well As Your Own.
2. Division of Profits. Sharing Profits Can Cause Conflicts.
3. Disagreements among Partners.
4. Difficult To Terminate. For Example: Who Gets What And What Happens Next?
 Many ventures avoid the disadvantages of these forms of ownership by forming corporations.
III. CORPORATIONS.
1. A CONVENTIONAL (C) CORPORATION is a state-chartered legal entity with authority to act
and have LIABILITY SEPARATE FROM ITS OWNERS.
1.1. The corporation=s owners (stockholders) are not liable for the debts of the corporation beyond the
money they invest.
1.2. A corporation also enables many people to share in the ownership of a business without working
there.
ADVANTAGES OF CORPORATIONS.
1. LIMITED LIABILITY.
1.1. Limited liability is probably the most significant advantage of corporations.
1.2. Limited liability means that the owners of a business are responsible for losses only up to the
amount they invest.
2. More Money for Investment.
2.1. To raise money, a corporation sells OWNERSHIP (STOCK) to anyone interested.
2.2. Corporations may also find it easier to obtain loans.
3.3. Corporations can also raise money from investors through issuing bonds.
3. SIZE.
3.1. Corporations have the ability to raise large amounts of money.
3.2. They can also hire experts in all areas of operation.
3.3.They can buy other corporations in other fields to diversity their risk.
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3.4. Corporations have the size and resources to take advantage of opportunities anywhere in the
world.
4. Perpetual Life: The Death Of One Or More Owners Does Not Terminate The Corporation.
5. Ease Of Ownership Change. Selling Stock Changes Ownership.
6. Ease Of Drawing Talented Employees. Corporations can offer benefits such as stock options.
7. Separation of Ownership from Management. Corporations can raise money from investors without
getting them involved in management.
Disadvantages of Corporations.
1. Extensive Paperwork.
1.1. A corporation must prove all its expenses and deductions are legitimate.
1.2. A corporation must keep detailed records.
2. Double Taxation.
2.1. Corporate income is taxed twice.
2.2. The Corporation Pays Tax on Income Before It Can Distribute Any to Stockholders.
2.3. The Stockholders Pay Tax on the income they receive from the corporation.
2.4. States often tax corporations more harshly than other enterprises.
3. Two Tax Returns: A corporate owner must file both a corporate tax return and an individual tax
return.
4. SIZE: Large corporations sometimes become inflexible and too tied down in red tape.
5. DIFFICULTY OF TERMINATION.
6. POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH STOCKHOLDERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Since the
board chooses the company=s officers, an entrepreneur can be forced out of the very company he or
she founded.
7. Initial Cost.
7.1. Incorporation may cost thousands of dollars and involve expensive lawyers and accountants.
7.2. There are less expensive ways of incorporating in certain states

4. DEVELOP MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL PLANS

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4.1. The practice vision statement is reviewed
4.2. Practice objectives are developed /reviewed.
4.3. Target markets are identified/refined
4.4. Market research data is obtained. Market research data includes:
Data about existing clients Chamber of Commerce
data about possible new clients client surveys
data from internal sources industry reports
data from external sources such as: secondary market research
trade associations/journals primary market research such as:
Yellow Pages small business surveys  telephone surveys
Libraries  personal interviews
Internet  mail surveys

4.5. Competitor analysis is obtained Competitor analysis.

• Competitor offerings
• Competitor promotion strategies and activities
• Competitor profile in the market place
4.6. Market position is developed/ reviewed.
Market position should include data on:
• Product
• The good or service provided
• Product mix
• The core product - what is bought?
• The tangible product- what is perceived
• the augmented/greater than before/ product - total package of consumer
• features/benefits
• product differentiation from competitive products
• new/changed products
• Price and pricing strategies (cost plus, supply/demand, ability to pay, etc.)
• Pricing objectives (profit, market penetration, etc.)
• cost components
• market position
• distribution strategies
• marketing channels
• promotion
• promotional strategies
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• target audience
• communication
• promotion budget
4.7. Practice brand is developed. Practice brand may include:
• practice image
• practice logo/letter head/signage
• phone answering protocol
• facility decor
• slogans
• templates for communication/invoicing
• style guide
• writing style
• AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action)
4.8. Benefits of practice/practice products/services are identified. Benefits may include:
• features as perceived by the client
• benefits as perceived by the client
4.9. Promotion tools are selected /developed. Promotion tools include:
• networking and referrals • brochures
• seminar • newsletters (print and/or
• advertising electronic)
• press releases • websites
• publicity and sponsorship

5. DEVELOP BUSINESS GROWTH PLANS

5.1. Plans to increase yield (give way) per existing client are developed. Yield per existing client
may be increased by:
• raising charge out rates/fees
• Packaging fees
• reduce discounts
• sell more services to existing clients
5.2. Plans to add new clients are developed
5.3. Proposed plans are ranked according to agreed criteria
5.4. An action plan to implement the top ranked plans is developed and agree
5.5. Practice work practices are reviewed to ensure they support growth plans.

Operation Sheet 2
Operation Title; -Steps to Develop Business Growth Plans
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1 Study the past successes of your company and use this to create new ideas for future achievements.
Also, study your competition, the trends of your target market, and economic trends to forecast your
growth plan.
2Look over the business growth plans of various others companies that have seen great recent success
in both your industry as well as other industries. Use their ideas as motivation to create your own
development strategy, unique to your company and its employees.
3Determine where your expansion opportunities are. Figure out if you should open your company
to new products or services, target a new market, physically expand your locations both at home and
abroad, become more technologically user friendly, or any combination of such. Find where you want
your company to go, and figure out the actions to get it there.
4 Assess your current company employee's efficiency, abilities, and adaptability as well as your own.
This will help you realize what you can or cannot do with your current staff, if you will need to hire
supplemental staff and what skills they should attain, and/or what training will need be needed to
move you in the desired direction of your development strategy.
5Assess your company's current technology and acknowledge any need for updating operating systems
and computer networks to assist and adapt to the new developments.
6Create a thorough proposal on how you will raise excess capital to support the expansion. Begin with
looking at the financial stability of your company as it is in its current state. Get an analysis of your
business' finances and see if funding your development is possible with internal growth or if outside
funding is necessary.
7Generate a high intensity marketing strategy that will catapult your new development efforts into the
population's conscious. Include this in your business growth plan and especially focus on how your
marketing efforts will continue and develop with the expansion of your company. The concentrated
marketing will aid your new development strategy in taking the reins, demonstrating its effectiveness
and the necessity of growth within the company.
8Collaborate with a business owner that has successfully expanded his or her company as you are
trying to do. Advice from someone who has been in your position and has gotten to where you want to
be is invaluable and should be a highly regarded method in your business development plan.
9 Write your business growth plan. This should include the following:
• Explanation of development opportunities.
• Financial plans per each quarter as well as yearly.
• Marketing strategy you will utilize to accomplish said growth.
• Financial breakdown of internal or external capital and its accessibility throughout the
development process.
The company's employee breakdown of what will be needed, cut, and expanded including the new
skill set necessary of each position.
“IF YOU WISH TO RAIN, YOU HAVE DEAL WITH MUD”
6. IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR PLANS What is Monitoring?
• Monitoring is the action watching the movement or behavior of something or someone
• In plan implementation, monitoring is defined to be the systematic attempt to measure the
extent to which:
1. Results achieved correspond to the set goals and objectives, in terms of quantity, quality and
time standard, and
2. Corrective actions need to be taken in order to reach the intended objectives
What is Monitoring?
“A continuing function that uses systematic collection of data on s specified indicators to provide
management and the main stakeholders of an ongoing development intervention with Indications of
the extent of progress and achievement of objectives and progress in the use of allocated funds”.
• “A continuous management function that aims
Primarily at providing programmer managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and early
indications of progress or lack thereof in the achievement of intended results. Monitoring tracks the
actual performance against what was planned or expected according to pre-determined standards. It
generally involves collecting and analyzing data on program me processes and results and
recommending corrective measures”.
Monitoring Process
• define benchmarks within the implementation process concerning
_ Inputs (physical, human resources, budget)
_ Process (progress of work, performance)
_ Intermediate outputs or results
_ Development impact
•define objectively verifiable ‘indicators’
-What? - How much? - When?
•specify sources of verification
-Where are the data (to construct indicators)?
•assess assumptions, conditions, and risks
-What are the outside factors?
•specify the reporting system
-Who is responsible? – What types of reports?
-When is the report due? (Reporting schedule)
What should Monitoring Indicators Cover?

Operation Sheet 3
Operation Title:-How to Conduct Monitoring?
“IF YOU WISH TO RAIN, YOU HAVE DEAL WITH MUD”
•Define monitoring indicators – select a set of manageable and most important indicators
•Collect data and information – surveys and studies, observation, to obtain up-to- date data and
information to construct monitoring indicators
•Compare the plan targets and current situation – use the indicators in the “PLAN” scenario and those
produced by the newly updated MODEL
•Adjust the implementation – by setting new targets or adjusting implementation speed or priorities
•Report the findings and new implementation plan – write a “monitoring report” including current
situation and future proposed implementation plan
6.1. Implementation plan is developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders
6.2. Indicators of success of the plan are agreed
6.3. Implementation is monitored against agreed indicators