Teachers Notes C2 - Planning and Development – Abilities and Skill
Development
Session C2 – Business Planning Skills
Aim:
• To explore the skills and research, idea generation and developmental
skills required for business start up.
Learning outcomes:
• To identify the skills required to write a business plan
• To recognise the integrated nature of business start up and identify
individuals’ strengths, and weaknesses within this process.
Delivery:
The aim of this presentation is to develop an integrated understanding of the
elements of a business plan and highlight areas for development. This brief
overview will outline the elements required for a comprehensive business plan
and make students aware of any areas which need further work, before
embarking on drafting the plan. This self analysis is not driven by the slides,
which provides insight into the areas to reflect upon, students must conduct
their own analysis through reflection.
These slides also serve to make students aware that they are ‘selling’ their
business concept at all times, even in the business plan, therefore the
customer focus developed from a marketing perspective should be
recognised in writing the business plan. The audience for the plan should be
an essential driver for its style, approach and focus – who is the ‘customer’ for
this product?
Activity 1:
Students should be able to identify areas of weakness within their own skill
set, by exploring the demands of writing a business plan. Using personal
development planning techniques, this can form an assessment for self
awareness and development, through the creation of
Activity 2:
Using the graduate entrepreneurial role models or the Vio case study (D1)
students may use this approach to reflect upon the skills and abilities of other
entrepreneurs and determine their weaknesses and strengths within the
business start up process.
RELATED SESSIONS:
Sessions from Column 2 will help students reflect upon their own suitability
for start up (C1 & C2).
C6 contains an active business template which indicates the level of
information required to write a business plan, as well as advice as to where to
start and how to approach the finances.
The ‘Pitch and Pour’/ elevator pitch is explained in D4 and the background of
customer focus which may illuminate this approach further can be found in C3
– introduction to marketing.
Related sources:
www.enterprisenetwork.co.uk
www.nationalbusangels.com
www.firsttuesday.com
www.lloydstsb.co.uk
www.banking.hsbc.co.uk
www.bplans.com - 60 free sample business plans
www.businessplans.org
www.soyouwanna.com
www.startups.co.uk
Depending on the Sector Industry, the BSU Business Plan may require extra
details such as:
Key to success in that particular field [see www.bplans.com Sample Plans Automotive – Parts Retailer]
Risks and Business Risks [see www.bplans.com
sample B Plans - Café – internet Cafe]
Confidentiality Agreement [see
www.businessplans.com/docs/Confidentiality_Agreement_Sample.doc
Industry Analysis [see www.bplans.com sample business plans – Beverage –
Shave Ice]
Manufacturing Process [see www.businessplans.org sample business plan –
Vusion, inc]
Avoid Mistakes [http://www.bizplanit.com/vplan/execsum/mistakes.html]
http://businessplanning-4-you.com/businessproducts/ USA - Business plan
database. Suppliers of sample business plans in many industries.
http://www.bpiplans.com/