Business Planning for Success

Rick Normington
Walter Harold Siebens Entrepreneurship Chair
Sierra Nevada College

Dean – Continuing Education and Summer Programs

Former AT&T VP & Corp Strategist

Business Planning for Success

If you don’t know where you’re going,

any road will get you there …

and you might not like the scenery

when you arrive.
 The Mini-Plan
 Concept Description
 Organizational Mission
 Vision of the Future
 Strategic Goals
 Strategy
 Tactical Action Plan
 Elevator Pitch
 The Mini-Plan (cont)
 Concept Description

 Organizational Mission
Briefly state the firm’s purpose in terms
you would use to prospective customers /
users / clients.
 The Mini-Plan (cont)
 Vision of the Future
What’s your picture of success 3 – 5 years
from now?

 Strategic Goals
B.S.M.A.R.T.
 The Mini-Plan (cont)
 Strategy for Achieving Goals
Consider all 4 Ps of marketing

 Tactical Action Plan

Chronological “to do” list of actions
needed to get to organizational launch and
initial start-up stage
 The Mini-Plan (cont)
 Elevator pitch

Craft a clear statement of <40 words you

could use to describe your value proposition
to a total stranger
 Good Idea?
 Assess Financial Viability

Develop preliminary pro forma financial

statements: P&L, Balance Sheet,
Cash Flow. Iterate as needed to test
alternate strategic approaches
 Opportunity?

 No? Don’t waste more time or money.

 Yes? It’s time for a full business plan.

 Sample Business Plan Structure
 Executive Summary

 Company Overview

 Products / Services

 Market and Competitive Analysis

Sample Business Plan Structure
 Management Team

 Operating Strategies

 Critical Risks
Sample Business Plan Structure
 Financial Analysis
• Income Statement
• Balance Sheet
• Cash Flow
• Break-even

 Offering

 Appendices
Business Planning for Success

“Good things may come to those

who wait … but what they get is
what’s left over by those who hustle.”

Theodore Roosevelt