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Government of South Australia - Department of Industry, Innovation and ScienceOffice for Small Family and Business

Business planning

How to map your pathway to success

Why create a business plan?

A business plan can help you find out where you want to go and how to get there and save your most precious resources – your time and money.

A business plan helps you design your future, instead of having it mapped out for you. It helps you set your objectives, plan your growth, and measure your progress so you reach your goals. It’s a dynamic tool for growth and success that changes as your goals do.

Preparing your plan can help you pick up any gaps in your business idea and identify solutions to challenges, and ensures your time, money and efforts are strategically invested in your business to achieve growth.

Preparing your plan can help you pick up any gaps in your business idea and identify solutions to challenges, and ensures your time, money and efforts are strategically invested in your business to achieve growth.

Your business plan can include a description of your business activity and what your sell, your objectives for the future and how you plan to achieve them.

As a guide to your business, it’s useful if you’re applying for grants or programs and essential if you’re seeking outside funding from banks or investors - it shows you understand your business and could prove your passport to finance.

Preparing your plan is well worth the time – and we can help.

The role of a marketing plan

A marketing plan is much more than a few posts on social media and can have a significant impact on reaching your goals for growth. It’s a strategic approach to promoting your business and products, so your investment of time and money is targeted, and your success measured.

Your marketing plan helps you work out what to say about your product and where to say it to reach your customers – that could be digital or traditional platforms.

Without a plan, promotion of your product is hit and miss and could be confusing instead of exciting your target market. You could be wasting money on strategies that don’t work.

Like the business plan, a marketing plan prompts you to reflect on your business and identify barriers to success.

Your marketing plan should include:

  • Business objectives
  • Strategies for marketing
  • Budget
  • Timing.

We recommend you share your plan with your business advisors or accountant, especially if you’re planning to use it to apply for business lending.

Starting a business checklist
Preparing your business plan
Preparing your marketing plan
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