Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for ...

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Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for Growth"Page xviiINTRODUCTIONIf I always appear prepared, it is because before embarking on an undertaking, I have meditated for longand have foreseen what might occur. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly and secretly what I shoulddo in circumstances unexpected by others; it is thought and meditation.—Napoleon BonaparteSo, what's your plan? If you haven't, like Napoleon, "thought and meditated" about your business futureand, most important, written it down, this book will go a long way in helping you develop andimplement an effective, action-oriented, business plan. In the near term, this plan will get you focusedto enable the growth and success of your company or organization; in the long term, it will assist you indeveloping your business into the company you dream about. Almost all books on business planningprovide guidance on the preparation of a document, the sole purpose of which is to raise capital for abusiness venture. If that is your intent, put this book back on the shelf and try the ones to the left or right—I'm certain they will address your need. This book is focused on developing the strategies andsupporting tactics to grow your company or organization, on bringing more to the bottom line, and onmaking the workplace a more enjoyable and exciting place to be for you and your employees.As the owner (or potential owner) or manager of a business, you are most likely in one of these threesituations:1. You have an idea for a business, but you need some guidance as to how to getstarted.2. Your company or organization is not growing, and you need to gain focus and develop andimplement a strategy that puts you on a growth path.Page xviii3. Your company or organization is growing, but lacks focus, a direction, or a strategy for continued,controlled growth.Whichever situation you are in, you should undertake the following:• Develop an action-oriented business plan with strategies and supporting tactics that foster the growthof your company or organization.• Implement a process to manage this plan to success.file:///C|/Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin...Forward_MBA_in_Business_Planning_for_Growth/e-book.html (16 of 219)16.02.2005 13:54:23
Philip Walcoff - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Planning for Growth"Based on the points I have made concerning growth and considering the title of this book, BusinessPlanning for Growth, it should be apparent that this focus will be on growing your company. I believeevery business owner or manager should view growth as a critical element of success. You may ask,why is growth so important? In their book, Action Plans for the Small Business, Vyakarnam andLepperd 1 point out that a company's business base is like a bucket that must be kept filled to a certainlevel with incoming business to achieve ongoing success. If the company surpasses this level, it faces arosy future. If it doesn't, failure is just around the corner.They go on to say that most businesses are like leaky buckets, because customers relocate, switch to acompetitor, or stop doing business with you for a host of other reasons. Therefore, in order to keepbusiness at the same level, companies must keep up a steady level of growth. Vyakarnam and Lepperdconclude that "growth is tantamount to survival."My experience has been that most business owners and managers don't want to keep business at thesame level. Entrepreneurs want to increase sales, enter new markets, and expand products and services—they see growth as a major reason for being in business. In addition to "keeping the leaky bucketfilled," they realize that growth offers the possibility of greater cor-Page xixporate stability and increased profits and company value. There are less tangible but equally appealingreasons for growth. Having been part of growing a company from my partner and me to 600 employeesin 5 major locations within the span of 8 short years, I can say that growth is a most rewardingprofessional experience. Being part of a company on the move provides a great feeling of achievementin meeting life's challenges and truly making something of your professional life.In today's highly competitive and volatile business environment, it is critical that companies developand implement effective business plans and supporting processes to ensure future growth and success.Although about a million companies are started each year, an equal number are closing. One of themajor reasons cited for this high rate of failure is lack of planning. Failure aside, if you don't plan, youwill be outperformed by companies that do use planning as an important element in their approach toconducting business.This book is written for business owners and managers who want to gain focus and grow theircompanies or organizations and make them more successful. Its applicability ranges from one-personstart-up companies to very large businesses employing thousands of people. It is also applicable tomanagers of government and nonprofit organizations who don't have the profit (or perhaps growth)incentives but wish to gain focus and direction for their organizations. It makes a powerful case for theimportance of a documented business plan, presents by way of a series of exercises a straight-forwardapproach to preparing the plan, and describes the actions necessary to manage the plan to success.file:///C|/Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin...Forward_MBA_in_Business_Planning_for_Growth/e-book.html (17 of 219)16.02.2005 13:54:23
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