Who are You and What has Your Team Done? – Part 5 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
February 19, 2009 :: Steve FisherMany times with a business plan it is good to have a 1-2 page section on the basics of the company. I call this the “Company Overview” and this format is good in some cases to answer what your company does and the problems it is fixing. The “Company Overview” section is also a great place to discuss vision and overall goals. Think of it like a birds-eye view of the company as it currently exists and where you envision it to be in the future. This is almost a quasi executive summary because you are trying to tie a number of elements into a picture that people understand and see where you are coming from.
What are the Components of the Corporate Overview?
Company Description – This is a paragraph or two that is the core message and history of the company and if people read only this they should get what you are trying to do.
Mission – What are the guiding vision points for this company? Provide X, Support Y?
Goals and Objectives - This is the place for major milestones including revenue, customers and other important metrics.
Structure – This is for legal and tax structure plus owners/stockholders
Core Competencies - This is to close up the section with powerful value propositions and differentiators that will go into more depth in the sales and marketing section. Right now it is about showing that you have the resources and wherewithal to build the business.
Company History – This is where you get to tell a bit of a story and
Company Highlights – If you have been around for a while and have some great accomplishments this is a wonderful place to highlight it and demonstrate the track record of the business.
Where Should You Put the Corporate Overview?
It depends. Writing the plan has many components and it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish with the business and what stage the company is in. My rule of thumb is that you should put it in the middle after the problem and solution are addressed. How long the company has been around and what it has accomplished should determine how far up the overview should move.
Table of contents for Business Plan Series
- 2009 Business Plan Series – Part 1 – The Art of Starting
- Select the Right Plan Type – Part 2 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Frame the Plan – Part 3 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Killer Executive Summaries. It all begins here. – Part 4 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Who are You and What has Your Team Done? – Part 5 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Identify the Problem and the Market – Part 6 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Tell them How You Solve the Problem – Part 7 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Know Your Competition Better than They Do – Part 8 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Why do some management teams win and others just suck? – Part 9 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Overall Marketing Plan – Part 10 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Overall Sales Strategy – Part 11 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Scaling to Win. The Operations Plan. – Part 12 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Business Plan Financials in Plain English – The Income Statement – Part 13 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Business Plan Financials in Plain English – The Balance Sheet – Part 14 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
- Business Plan Financials in Plain English – Cash Flow Statement – Part 15 of the 2009 Business Plan Series
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