Planejamento e execução

Nesse terceiro texto vamos tratar da execução do planejamento. 

Em todos os casos, seja para aquela empresa que está fazendo seu primeiro planejamento, seja para aquela outra que já está numa fase mais avançada, o desafio passa a ser a execução. Muitos ficam na elaboração e criticam esse instrumento como falho porque não o implementaram. Observo, no entanto, que na maior parte das análises da causa, elas demonstram que a falha principal foi de execução.

Já se sabe por meio de pesquisa de autores renomados que nem o mais importante é o planejamento nem a execução. Ambos se complementam. Ou seja, execução sem planejamento poderá levar para caminhos de sucesso com prazo curto ou fracasso, e planejamento sem execução para caminhos de sucesso efêmero ou fracasso. Há exceções, claro!!! 

Abrindo um parêntese: você já percebeu que 99% dos livros americanos pegam os mesmos exemplos de empresa para análise, sempre Facebook, Google, Apple (essa então...). Observou também que ainda hoje, depois de tanto tempo, falam sobre o livro Feitas para Durar? Sem polemizar, apenas sugiro que você leia o livro Derrubando Mitos. Tem pontos de vista muito interessantes.

E como ter uma execução eficaz do seu planejamento? Com uma equipe afinada e compromissada. Fácil de dizer, mas difícil de concretizar. Aqui está o grande esforço a ser efetuado para que se maximize o resultado do que foi planejado.

Envolva sua equipe, treine, motive, explique o sentido de tudo, transmita sua visão, comprometa, torne todos responsáveis por uma parte do plano de ação e acompanhe, oriente, cobre, avalie!!! Depois conte pra mim!

Só isso!!! Sem mais delongas... Em poucas palavras e muito efetivo. Parece inacreditável? Posso provar. 

Planeje com o maior aprofundamento e ajuda possível e comprometa sua equipe.

Reforço que estou simplificando bastante todo o processo porque não tenho a pretensão de escrever um artigo acadêmico ou resumir o assunto a 3 pequenos artigos. Minha intenção é apenas escrever sobre alguns pontos básicos para sempre repassar aos meus clientes quanto tratarmos de planejamento, plano de negócios, canvas, Business Model Generation, e outros temas para os quais sou contratado. Ao invés de repetir, resolvi escrever em rápidas linhas.

Vou deixar outras observações por aqui ao longo do tempo. Sempre bom compartilhar!

Leopoldo Nunes
br.linkedin.com/in/leopoldonunes

Um planejamento estratégico feito por você

No texto anterior abordamos a possibilidade do planejamento ser superficial por falta de aprofundamento das informações, da possibilidade de ser elaborado junto com os colaboradores, da necessidade de se obter resultados com esse instrumento de trabalho e de não torná-lo complexo.

Nesse momento, vamos conversar sobre TER um planejamento que é o passo fundamental. Seja ele elaborado segundo as orientações acadêmicas, ou práticas, ou a partir de dicas ou vídeos de internet, ter uma direção é o que mais importa.

E o que deve conter um planejamento mínimo?

Deve conter principalmente uma visão porque mostra o alvo a conquistar e um caminho curto para chegar nessa visão, uma estratégia. Sobre visão costumamos pedir que o cliente se veja onde estará depois de algum tempo. Esse tempo pode ser definido ou não, o que conta é que não seja muito longo tendo em vista as mudanças rápidas pelas quais passamos hoje em dia. 

Utilizando a cidade e o mapa como referências, ao saber onde está o potencial ponto de chegada, podem ser utilizados vários caminhos que levam em conta, nesse comparativo, tempo, congestionamento, sinais, distância. O caminho escolhido pode ser mais curto ou mais longo dependendo dos seus interesses e limitações.

No caso real, se a visão é de crescimento, os caminhos dependerão de recursos financeiros, de pessoas, de tempo, de mercado, de produto dentre outros. O caminho ou estratégia, vai ser elaborada de acordo com os interesses e limitações, mas poderá estabelecer, por exemplo, que o caminho não tão curto é melhor tendo em vista o interesse em não se endividar e por aí vai.

Para o mínimo então, faz-se necessário que se crie o como por meio do plano de ação que vai delinear os detalhes das estratégias escolhidas. O envolvimento dos colaboradores é percebido nessa hora pois um planejamento feito de forma isolada não terá mais de um responsável pela sua execução. Para empreendedores cada vez mais ocupados, como isso dará certo?

Em paralelo, inicia-se um processo de delegação e monitoramento que faz parte da caixa de ferramentas do gestor, para lembrar que cada ação de gestão efetiva leva a outras, secundárias, tão importantes quanto a primária. Explicando, um simples planejamento envolve tanto o seu benefício direto de antecipar decisões quanto trabalho em equipe, criação de processos de execução e acompanhamento que impactam no restante da organização.

Feito o mínimo, vamos à execução!!! Tema do próximo texto. 

Ah!!! Quem quer pular etapas, às vezes acaba não fazendo nada. Sabe muito e faz pouco. Tenho visto muito isso. Analise uma grande empresa e avalie o que está sendo dito nesse parágrafo. A complexidade não está na metodologia e sim na feitura, na quantidade de variáveis na mesa, na precisão dos acertos, nos cenários, nas estratégias, na taxa de sucesso. Quanto maior a taxa de sucesso desejada, maior o esforço e complexidade do planejamento. Válido para micro, pequenas, médias e grandes empresas. Se você tiver acesso à todos os portes, sugiro confirmar o que estamos afirmando.

Outra coisa: todos os textos são válidos para o plano pessoal. Tem autores que escrevem um livro para empresa e  outro para planejamento pessoal. Não precisa. Os conceitos são os mesmos. Você é que decide se quer gastar mais ou menos.

Leopoldo Nunes (br.linkedin.com/in/leopoldonunes)

Qual o problema com o planejamento estratégico?

Um número significativo de empresas não passa de 5 anos de vida por falta de planejamento segundo o Sebrae. Por que o empreendedor não tem estímulo para desenvolver uma atividade que impacta na sobrevivência de empresas de uma forma geral? São muitas as respostas e muitas pesquisas já foram feitas sobre o assunto, mas quero apresentar algumas observações que fiz ao longo dos anos, auxiliando a elaboração do planejamento estratégico de empresas de todos os portes.

Vamos analisar um dos aspectos nesse primeiro momento.

Em primeiro lugar o planejamento acaba sendo superficial se for elaborado isoladamente devido, dentre muitas opções, à necessidade de informações, de disciplina para reunir e apresentar os dados antes de pensar estratégias, à pressuposição de cenários positivos e à potencial perspectiva de que, na verdade, tudo já estava na cabeça e aquilo é só burocracia. Por outro lado, se forem convocados colaboradores, estes terão que ser preparados e orientados para ajudar na elaboração, aprendendo a metodologia e trazendo ideias e informações novas. Ou seja, no final das contas, perda de tempo para quem já não tem tanto tempo.

Confesso que a palavra superficial talvez não esteja bem colocada e possa haver muita polêmica sobre qual seria então a palavra certa. No entanto, se poucas empresas efetivamente tem planejamento ou falham quando o tem, talvez aquela palavra não seja assim tão fora de contexto. Mas o que é importante aqui, é o que pode ser feito para que o empreendedor dê esse passo e, na minha opinião, a resposta é o fazer algo que traga resultado.

Tudo aquilo que é feito sem que se tenha uma resposta ou resultado, torna-se sem sentido e vai ser abandonado ou descartado. Da forma como são elaborados, os planejamentos não tem tido êxito pois, ao final, o que restam são numerosas ações desconectadas de estratégias ou mesmo conectadas com estratégias que não foram devidamente internalizadas ou bem definidas.

Uma sugestão que dou é o planejamento escalonado, iniciando de forma bem simplificada e progredindo até um planejamento que se possa chamar de estratégico. Se puder contar com apoio externo, ainda melhor, tendo em vista que pessoas de fora podem ter insights oportunos e torná-lo mais eficaz. Poucas expectativas e 100% de resultados é melhor do que um planejamento estratégico engavetado.

Em outro texto, pretendo desenvolver o tema planejamento estratégico, tentanto aprofundar aspectos de sua construção e execução, analisando textos de outros autores e o que mais for importante para compor um raciocínio simples que o leve a adotar essa prática.

Leopoldo Nunes (br.linkedin.com/in/leopoldonunes)

Forget the Resolutions — Write Your Personal Manifesto

Eric J. McNulty

It’s that time of year again. The pressure is on to make New Year’s resolutions: Lose weight. Get to meetings on time. Interact more with your direct reports. A few goals are put on a list…and are forgotten by January 3rd. While this annual ritual of reflection is well intentioned, it rarely changes behavior because it focuses on what you do (or should do), not the deeper question of why you do it.

I’ve discovered an alternative to New Year’s resolutions, one that addresses that disconnect between the what and the why and can spark real change. It’s the personal manifesto, and it particularly valuable for those who aspire to lead.

Michael Hess, founder of sales management firm Core 6 Advisors, introduced me to the idea. The manifesto is a tool that he uses with sales managers and salespeople to help them focus on their true personal and professional aspirations as well as what it will take to achieve success.

The genesis for Hess was a collection of quotes and thoughts he had written on Post-its and stuck on his computer monitor. As Hess began to spend less time at his desk, he put all those notes on a sheet of paper, kept folded in his wallet, so that could reflect on them wherever he was. Along the way, he realized what an essential compass these scribbled words had become. They weren’t just notes, they were the fodder for his personal manifesto.

A manifesto is a rigorous written account of where you are, where you would like to be, and why. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, the personal manifesto isn’t tied to the time of year or to specific acts. It is a way to keep yourself focused, thoughtful, and on-track through the ups-and-downs of a busy life. And it can be amended as needed.

A personal manifesto begins with an honest conversation with yourself. That’s not as easy as it sounds; honesty takes work — and guts. It also takes time.

 “A manifesto doesn't just pour out in 20 minutes,” Hess says. “Being honest with yourself is a process. You sit, think, write, and edit. Put it aside. Come back to it and revise until the words are exactly what you want. A good manifesto requires a depth of introspection that exposes vulnerabilities and helps you address them.” This is something for you and by you. It is not intended to be shared with anyone.

Start, as Hess did, by capturing quotes from others that resonate with you. Ask yourself why you find them compelling. Note your own thoughts about where you are, where you want to go, and what’s most important to you. Hess suggests beginning sentences with phrases that provoke honesty: “I am afraid that…,” “I am worried that…,” or “I feel vulnerable when…” to spark deeper reflection.

Then, articulate the principles that are most important to you and how you intend to act on them. For example, “My family is the most important thing in my life, therefore I will be home for dinner each night that I am not traveling.” The “therefore” statement is what brings the intention to life. These core principles are enduring guideposts of your life. They serve to explain what you wish to do, and also why you do it.

Next, reflect on the ideal life to which you aspire, what you want your life to look like. “These aspirations should be emotional, spiritual, and yes, materialistic if that’s the case,” Hess says. “Name what you want your life to be. So if you want to drive a Tesla, say it. If you want to retire early, put it down.” Most important, don’t include something because you think that you are “supposed to” want it. “We shackle ourselves with external expectations,” he notes. “The manifesto is a place to be totally, brutally candid about the personal and professional aspects of your life. It should be something you fight through.” This part of your manifesto helps keep you accountable to yourself.

Physically writing down the manifesto is critical. Hess feels that putting pen to paper engages the brain differently than typing, and a notepad doesn’t distract you with email notifications and other information clutter. Studies have shown that writing by hand helps you generate more ideas, reflect on them, and encode them in memory more effectively than typing.

Hess is on the eighth major revision of his own manifesto since he started about 10 years ago. “Keep the old versions when you make a major update,” he advises. “It helps you chart your growth.”

Just as writing the manifesto is a process, so too is living into it. “It has to be part of a regular diet,” Hess says. “You need to return to it and make it a habit, like going to church or attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Find a way to make it part of your routine.” He recommends reading it every two or three days, sometimes reading it aloud to provide a different sensory experience.

I also think that a manifesto is a valuable resource when you are confronted with a major decision. Read it to help you frame how you consider your options. Hess noted that the manifesto has been valuable to him through several life transitions. For clients, it has helped center them on deeper considerations and consequences when confronting a range of issues, including a job change and dealing with a difficult boss.

I’ve begun the process of creating my personal manifesto. As Hess predicted, it has not happened instantly. As a writer, words come easily for me. However, I am learning that the manifesto is less about getting the syntax right than using words to delve way below the surface. I now discard phrases and thoughts that come too easily. Each one is just a springboard to another with more significance. Being real is different than being perfect.

I encourage you to create your own personal manifesto as a way to illuminate the journey into the New Year and beyond. Further, while your manifesto itself is for your eyes only, I encourage you to share a core principle, or “therefore” statement, in the comments below. Or tweet us one with #ForgetResolutions. 

Fonte: strategy-business

Management Tools & Trends 2015

http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/management-tools-and-trends-2015.aspx

7 TED Talks That Help You Start (and Maintain) Good Habits

You probably know it's a lot easier to create a good habit than to get rid of a bad one. Forming good habits is one of the few ways you can create better, healthier, or more productive behavior. But how do you start these great habits? And how do you get them to stick?

As with so many things, TED speakers can provide some answers. In a playlist oncreating better habits, half a dozen experts--neuroscientists, a psychologist, an economist, and people who've actually done it--ask just how human beings can create healthier habits, and offer some powerful answers.

1. Build a new habit in 30 days.

We know it takes about a month to form a new habit, whether it's eating salads, biking to work, or giving up watching the news. That's the message from Google engineer Matt Cutts, who says he "decided to follow in the footsteps of the great American philosopher Morgan Spurlock," by trying something new for 30 days at a time. "The idea is pretty simple," he says. "Think of something you've always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days."

Simple and yet powerful. In his talk, Cutts explains how, as a result of his own 30-day challenges, he did things, like hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro and writing a novel (not necessarily a good one), that he never would have done otherwise. More to the point, he discovered that when he used the technique to make gradual changes to his routine, those changes tended to stick. 

2. Laser-focus on your goals.

How hard or easy something is to do depends a lot on your own perceptions, as social psychologist Emily Balcetis demonstrates in a thought-provoking talk. Through a series of experiments, she and her team demonstrated that our perceptions of distance, and of the difficulty of a challenging activity, changes dramatically according to our attitudes, experiences, and motivations.

Who has the easiest time completing a difficult walk? The person who focuses on the finish line at the end of the walk and tries to focus on nothing else. There's a lesson there for us all.

3. Don't get isolated.

National Geographic writer Dan Buettner has traveled the world examining "Blue Zones," places where people have much higher longevity than elsewhere. In this fascinating talk, he describes areas of commonality among them, and perhaps the most striking is this: They all live in tight-knit communities. It may seem like an odd idea in our increasingly mobile, work-at-home world, but having a community of people you share your joys and sorrows with really can make you healthier, happier, and longer-lived. (Here's more about Buettner's findings.)

4. Don't neglect your own emotional health.

Our society overvalues physical health over emotional health, argues psychologist (a.k.a. "not a real doctor") Guy Winch, in an illuminating talk. The result is that too many of us struggle with self-criticism, and loneliness--so much so that it is sending many of us to an early grave. In fact, he says, chronic loneliness and emotional hurt is as bad for you as smoking. But by changing your thought patterns and attitudes, you can reverse a lot of these effects. It's an effort well worth making.

5. Eating right really is worth it.

You know that eating a diet that's high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and "good" fats and proteins is good for your health. You may even know it can help prevent disease. But did you know that changing your diet can actually reverse cardiovascular disease and shrink tumors? In this very brief talk, UCSF clinical professor Dean Ornish shows how.

6. Never, ever go on a diet.

Diets almost never work, even if you call them "eating plans" instead. In fact, they can lower your metabolism and often cause people to gain wait in the long run. What should you do? Make peace with the fact that long-term weight loss is impossible for most people, says neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt in her highly honest talk. But healthy habits such as eating fruits and vegetables, not smoking, drinking moderately, and exercising at least three times a week can make you healthy no matter what weight you are.

7. Save your next raise.

You'd like to save, but you just can't figure out how when every penny you earn seems to be spent before it ever lands in your bank account? In his talk, economist Shlomo Benartzi offers a breathtakingly simple solution: Wait until your next raise, and then start saving all or part of that increase. It's a brilliant idea that Tony Robbins recommends highly and the best strategy for kicking a savings plan into gear I've ever heard of.

Fonte: Inc.

List of 70+ awesome ‘Okay Google’ voice commands

By Marc Knoll on January 31, 2016@marcknoll

http://trendblog.net/list-of-google-now-voice-commands-infographic/

10 Invaluable Online Resources To Help You Start Your Own Creative Business

by Faith Towers on Feb 18, 2016

If you're contemplating starting your own creative business but don't know where to begin, you're not alone. The prospect of becoming your own boss can be a daunting one. So today I'm sharing ten online resources that have been invaluable to me throughout my journey to becoming a small business owner. And the best part? Most of them are free!   

1. By Regina - This website has a wealth of (free) information beyond just creating an action plan. Tips for building an audience, being productive, creating an effective website, etc.Check out this awesome post here.

2. Coursera - This might be one of my favorites. Coursera is a site with thousands of university-level courses taught by real college professors. And every course has a free option. I find the business and marketing courses to be particularly helpful. Check it out here.

3. Dear Handmade Life - This site sells affordable online workshops on a variety of creative subjects. See their current offerings here.

4. Lynda.com - This one has a large selection of courses on topics ranging from business to software to creative skills. And you can try it out for free for ten days. Head over here to check it out.

5. Wonderlass - This post has a great step-by-step overview that will help you get started. There are lots of other informative posts on the site as well. See this one here.

6. Freelancers Union - This has a super helpful blog with all kinds of interesting information, as well as resources for freelancers such as insurance information and discounts.Explore the site here.

7. Elegance and Enchantment - This post would be helpful for those of you who are starting your own Etsy shop. See all of Michelle's helpful tips here.

8. Whitney Blake - This blog post has five excellent tips for starting your own business, along with lots of helpful links to additional resources. Read it here.

9. Skillshare - This site has tons of useful video courses on a wide range of creative business-focused topics. Check out their course listings here.

10. Creative Live - This is another one of my favorites; they offer tons of different live courses which are free if you watch them live, or you can buy any past course. Which means it pays to keep an eye on their schedule! Check it out here.

Fonte: http://www.curbly.com/

Plano de Negócios - Business plan preparation - Manual for Entrepreneurs

Source: McKinsey

Standard use of business plans

▪Start-up companies:

–Application for venture capital

–Search for management team members

–Communication with partners, suppliers, …

▪Established, developed businesses for investment decisions

–In-house budget allocations

–External financing

Generic requirements

Explanation

Constantly adapting

▪Business planning is an iterative and adaptive process that requires constant update and adjustment work

Impressing by clarity

▪Not the quantity of analyses, but the clarity and preciseness of the pack are important

Convincing by facts

▪No hype, but factual statements. Enthusiasm will be generated by the investor realizing the opportunity on his own

Understandable even for non-experts

▪Those who allocate investment resources rarely are technical experts for the technology used in the proposal

Consistent and concise

▪Those who allocate investment resources rarely are technical experts for the technology used in the proposal

Optically compelling

▪A clear, precise structure is a courtesy to those investing their time in reading the proposal

Executive summary

▪Gives a brief overview of the concept's most important aspects

▪Describes idea as clearly, compellingly, and concisely as possible

▪Raises interest of decision makers

▪Is not more than 5 - 10 minutes to read

▪Quality of summary decides if rest of business plan is read

– Key questions

Idea description

▪What is your business idea? In what way does it fulfill the criterion of uniqueness?

▪Who are your target customers?

▪What is the value for those customers?

▪What market volume and growth rates do you forecast?

▪What competitive environment do you face?

▪What additional stages of development are needed?

▪How much investment is necessary (estimated)?

▪What long-term goals have you set?

Rough business plan

▪How high do you estimate your financing needs?

▪What are the sales, cost, and profit situations?

▪What are the most important milestones along the way to your goal?

▪What test customers have you approached/ could you approach?

▪What distribution channels will you use?

▪What partnerships would you like to enter into?

▪What opportunities and risks do you face?

▪What is the picture on patents?

Product/service

▪Potential foam plus applicator to replace expensive and space consuming earth that must be spread over garbage dumps every day

▪Space savings of ~30% for dump operators

▪Costs of coverage reduced by ~50% for dump operators

Market and competition

▪Customers: household garbage dump operator

▪Market: 300 to 500 dumps in Eastern USA with capacity of 500 to 10,000 tons/day

▪Major competitor: 3M/Sanifoam (application takes longer and is more complicated)

Marketing and sales

▪2007: Investments of USD 850,000 required

▪2008: Sales of USD 2 million (break-even)

▪2012: Sales of USD 15 million, profit of USD 1.5 million

Business system

▪Sale of foam and applicators (product business)

Opportunities and risks

▪Necessary approval from authorities

▪Proof of system's operational efficiency

Content of product/service section

▪Describes the function the product/service fulfills and the benefits the customer will gain from it

–Product/service description

–Customer value

▪Explains status and next steps of product/service development

▪Addresses patents/IP protection issues

▪Product/service section has to prove that entrepreneur can integrate the customers' perspective

– Key questions

Idea description

▪What end customers will you address?

▪What are the customers' needs?

▪What customer value does your product/service provide?

▪What is the nature of your innovation? Why is it unique?

▪What partnerships are necessary to achieve full customer value?

▪What competitor products already exist or are under development?

▪What stage of development has your product or service reached?

▪Do you have patents or licenses?

▪What further development steps do you plan to take? What milestones must be reached?

Rough business plan

▪Which versions of your products/services are designed for which customer groups and applications?

▪What patents/licenses do the competitors have?

▪What kind of service/maintenance will you offer?

▪What product or service guarantees will you grant?

▪Compare the strengths and weaknesses of comparable products/services with yours in an overview!

Successful product positioning

Identify relevant customer needs and problems

Define clear, sufficiently large customer segments

Define uniqueness and position offering vis-à-vis competition

Address subjective perception of customers

Content of management team section

▪Outlines educational background and professional experience of founders

▪Describes how existing skill gaps can be closed in the future

▪Convinces potential investors that both managerial and technological expertise is present to run the venture

▪Venture capitalist will invest only if the venture is managed by an excellent team

Management team – Key questions

Complete business plan

▪Who are the members of your management team and what distinguishes them: education, professional experience, success, standing in the business world?

▪What experience or abilities does the team possess that will be useful for implementing your concept and setting up your company?

▪What experience or abilities are lacking? How will the gaps be closed? By whom?

▪What targets do the team members pursue by starting up the business? How high is the motivation of the individual team members?

Reasons for business plan rejection

Inadequate technical expertise

Not patentable

Money commitment too large Long time frame

Not market-driven

Weak management team

Content of market and competition section

▪Provides thorough understanding of markets and competitors:

–Market size and growth

–Market segmentation

–Competition

–Positioning of product vis-à-vis the competition

▪The market and competition section has to outline the full economic potential of the venture

Market and competition – Key questions

Idea description

▪How is the industry developing?

▪What role do innovation and technological advances play?

▪How will you segment the market?

▪What market volumes do the individual market segments have, now and in the future (rough estimates)?

▪Who are your target customer groups?

▪What major competitors offer similar products/services?

▪How sustainable will your competitive edge be?

Rough business plan

▪What market volume (value and amount) do you estimate for your individual market segments over the next five years?

▪What will influence growth in the market segments?

▪What is your estimate of current and future profitability of the individual market segments?

▪What market shares do you hold in each market segment? What segments are you targeting?

▪Who are your reference customers? How do you plan to get reference customers?

▪What are the key buying factors for customers?

▪How does the competition operate? What strategies are pursued?

▪What are the barriers to market entry and how can they be overcome?

▪What market share does your competition have in the various market segments?

▪How profitable are your competitors?

▪What are your competitors' marketing strategies?

▪What distribution channels do your competitors use?

▪How will competitors react to your market launch? How will you respond to this reaction?

▪Profile the strengths and weaknesses of your major competitors with your own in the form of an overview!

Content of marketing and sales section

▪Outlines planned marketing and sales activities (four "Ps" framework):

–Product

–Price

–Place

–Promotion

▪Marketing and sales section has to explain how market is developed

Marketing and sales – Key questions

Idea description

▪What final sales price do you want to charge (estimated)? What criteria did you use to arrive at this final sale price? How high is the profit margin (estimated)?

▪What sales volumes and sales revenues are you aiming for (estimated)?

Rough business plan

▪In which partial market segments will you make your market entry? How do you plan to turn this "toehold" into a high-volume business?

▪What sales volumes are you targeting (detailed data by market segment)?

▪Describe the typical process of selling your product/service. Who, among your buyers, ultimately makes the purchasing decision?

▪How will you win reference customers?

▪How much, in time and resources, will it cost to acquire a customer?

▪Which advertising materials will you use to do so?

▪What other planning steps are necessary in the run up to launching your product/service? Draw up a schedule with the most important milestones!

Content of business system section

▪Outlines what parts of the value chain are covered by the venture

▪Discusses organizational issues

▪Describes necessary partnerships

▪Makes "make or buy" decisions

▪Business system section describes all necessary elements that enable the venture to physically deliver the customer value

Business system – Key questions

Rough business plan

▪What does the business system for your product/service look like?

▪What activities do you want to handle yourself?

▪Where will the focus of your own activities lie?

▪What business functions make up your organization, and how is it structured?

▪What resources do you need (quantitative and qualitative) to create your product/service?

▪How high is your need for technical input (raw materials, materials to create your service)?

▪What will you make, what will you buy?

▪Which partners will you work with? What are the advantages of working together for you and your partners?

Content of implementation plan section

▪Describes the most important activities and milestones for the development of the business

▪Lists the planned short- and long-term investments

▪Links the investment needs with major milestones

▪The implementation plan section gives the investor a clear roadmap to control the business development

Implementation plan – Key questions

Complete business plan

▪What are the most important milestones for the development of your business, and when must they be reached?

▪How do you plan to structure the work to reach these targets?

▪For which tasks/milestones do you anticipate bottlenecks?

▪How many new employees will you need in the individual business areas over the next five years? What will this cost?

▪How much real capital is necessary to achieve initial sales?

▪List your planned short-term investments!

▪List your planned longer-term (3 - 5 years) investments!

▪What investments will be required when which milestones are reached?

▪How high is the annual depreciation for each investment?

Content of financing section

▪Provides rough cash-flow forecasts

▪Outlines forecasts of profit and loss statements

▪Gives overview of future balance sheet structure

▪The finance plan explains the timing and volume of necessary financing rounds

Financial planning – Key questions

Complete business plan

▪How will your revenues, expenses and income develop?

▪How will your cash flow develop? When will you expect to break even (= sum of all revenues greater than the sum of all expenses)?

▪How high is your need for financing based on your liquidity planning? How much cash is needed in the worst case scenario?

▪What assumptions underlie your financial planning?

▪Which sources of capital are available to you to cover your financing needs?

▪What deal are you offering potential investors?

▪What return can investors expect?

▪How will they realize a profit (exit options)?

Financial plan outlines

▪Cash flow statement

▪Income statement

▪Balance sheet

Content of opportunities and risk section

▪Describes the venture's specific opportunities

▪Identifies the venture's main challenges

▪Tries to assess and quantify risks (e.g., with sensitivity analysis)

▪Develops countermeasures for "killer" risks

▪Consideration of risk involved will win the confidence of a potential investor

Opportunities and risks – Key questions

Rough business plan

▪What basic risks (market, competition, technology) does your business venture face?

▪What measures will you take to counter these risks?

▪What extraordinary opportunities/business possibilities do you see for your company?

▪How could an expansion of your capital base help?