Plan Genie is an educational training hub dedicated to business planning

Navigating Success: The Power of Structure and Process in Business Planning

In the dynamic landscape of business, having a robust plan is akin to having a GPS for your company's journey. Yet, the effectiveness of this guiding beacon is contingent on two critical elements: a solid structure and a consistent process. The…

Unleashing Growth: The Power of a Structured, High Level Operating Plan

Investing in a documented, well-structured plan for your business isn’t just a choice, it's a strategic move. It's more than a roadmap; it's a catalyst for success. Surprisingly, fewer than 20% of small to medium-sized business leaders…

Featured, The Planning Process, Uncategorized

Lessons from the Sky: What Geese Flying in Formation Teach Us About Business Planning and Alignment

Discover the Secrets to Maximizing Efficiency and Success for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses Introduction: In the intricate tapestry of nature, the flight of geese offers a remarkable lesson in teamwork, strategy, and efficiency. For…

Featured, The Planning Process, Uncategorized

Teams That Plan Together, Stay Together: The Secret to Employee Retention

How Collaborative Planning Fosters a Stronger Workforce and Reduces Turnover In the fast-paced world of business, employee retention is a key metric of success. Retaining talented individuals not only saves resources but also contributes…

The Planning Process

What is your Unique Business Proposition?

What makes your company remarkable? What makes your business unique? How do you differentiate your company from others in your market? What is your secret sauce? These are simple questions. Can you offer a simple answer that resonates with your…

Uncategorized

Let’s Get Clear About Purpose

Why does your company exist? (from your customer’s perspective) We are seeing a lot of attention being paid in recent years to this idea of knowing your “Why” or the Purpose of your business, for good reason. Discovering the…

The Planning Process, Uncategorized

A Love Story

I love my business plan. And it loves me back. I have a written plan for my business. It is organized, relatively short, succinct, coherent, complete. I take good care of it. I keep it current, change it frequently, and take it with me wherever…

The Planning Process, Uncategorized

The Importance of Structure in Business Planning

If you’re ready to take your business plan to the next level, you’ll want to keep reading. The first step for writing a planning document for your business is designing the structure for your plan. With a clear and coherent structure, the…

The Planning Process, Uncategorized

Together, We Can Make a Difference

In an article published by The Globe and Mail, author Jon Umstead proposes that running your business from a documented plan will increase your odds of success by 30-50%. He further states that business leaders who learn how to be better planners…

5 Step Business Plan

The Importance of Structure in Business Planning

The first step for writing a planning document for your business is designing the structure for your plan. With a clear and coherent structure, the task of planning is much easier. You simply fill in the content, and Presto! you have a…

Business Help, Featured

Planning Makes a Difference

In an article published by The Globe and Mail, Jon Umstead proposes that running your business from a documented plan will increase your odds of success by 30-50%. He further states that business leaders who learn how to be better planners…

Values

Values or Culture – which comes first? It’s a “Chicken or Egg” question.

All organizations have a unique culture and company culture can affect the success, or failure, of a business. So how do you change the culture of your business to support long term success? If Culture is the “chicken” in this story,…

Determining if you are Batman or The Joker

Featured, The Planning Process

Are you Batman or Joker?

What happens when we don’t plan? Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great”, in his keynote address to a recent international Vistage Chair conference summarized 12 attributes of great leaders he has studied. Observation number one:…

Business Help, Purpose

Let’s Get Clear about Purpose. Why does your company exist?

Why does your company exist? (from your customer’s perspective) We are seeing a lot of attention being paid in recent years to this idea of knowing your “Why” or Purpose of your business, for good reason. Discovering the…

Unique Business Proposition

What Makes you So Special?

No seriously. Has a prospective client ever asked you this question? Even if they haven’t, at some level, this question is on their mind as they consider their buying decision. What is your answer? Do you have a clear, succinct response…

Business Help, The Planning Process

I’ll Show you mine, if you show me yours!

I’ll Show you mine, if you show me yours! Are you ready and willing to show me yours? – Your Business Plan, that is. Sharing your written plans with others outside your business is one of the best ways to bring clarity and…

Always be crystal clear on your destination and how you are going to get there

Business Help, Featured

What is the Top Priority of Every Business Leader and Entrepreneur?

The Art of Moving Forward is a Top Priority of Every Business Leader and Entrepreneur. But How? If you wish for a steady stride to navigate the challenges of the coming year, putting yourself in the driver’s seat is key. After all you are…

Featured, In The News

Is your business vaccinated this cold and flu season?

I received a reminder from my physician’s office this week to book my drive through vaccination time slot, which got me thinking about business health. How is vaccination related to business? A vaccine stimulates your immune system to…

Featured, One year goals, Plan Summary, Purpose, Strategy, The Planning Process, Unique Business Proposition

Start with the foundation

The Foundation We all know that building any structure starts with a solid foundation. The same is true of your business plan. The foundation for your business plan is your BUSINESS PLAN SUMMARY. Your plan summary contains five important…

Featured, The Planning Process

Turning New Ideas into Tangible Results

C19 is “disruptive Innovation” on steroids. Every business has been disrupted, even those that are seeing revenue growth through this period. C19 has been the disrupter, and the best leaders will, and already are, looking at their business…

5 Step Business Plan

Critical Impediments, Featured

Is there an Elephant in the Room? Facing Critical Impediments can turn your focus to finding solutions, rather than fixating on the problems

Critical Impediments It can be challenging to commit quality time to draft a new plan for your business or refresh your existing plan. The world is constantly throwing objects in our path and we tend to give these impediments a lot of our…

One year goals, Plan Summary, Strategy

Understanding the Relationship between Goals and Strategies

Getting clear on goals and strategies. Let's review what a typical goal setting list might look like and where strategies may be hiding in the list. Most initial goal setting lists will contain a mixture of measurable outcomes along with…

Writing down your plans is a catalyst for change

Business Help, Featured, Media, Podcasts, Uncategorized

The Case for Planning: Brian and Jeff discuss the benefits of planning on The Jeff Andreas Show

Frequently confronted with the argument that you don't have time to plan, we don't believe this for a moment. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, every day. This is not to say you aren't busy, it's to say that we know if you make time…

One year goals, Plan Summary

What does Success Look like one year from now? How to Create One Year Goals

With an emerging picture of our Destination, we can focus on our more immediate future – what does success look like one year from now? What are the milestones we need to reach for this coming year? These one-year goals will often be…

Featured, The Planning Process

A Life Well Lived is a Life Well Planned

Today, April 16th is National Advance Care Planning Day . It just so happens that this year, the Advance Care Planning Day falls within the time of a pandemic and so the topic of death and illness has been brought to the forefront of our…

Business Help, Featured, Where You Are Now

COVID-19: Disruptive Innovation on Steroids

There has been a lot written about “disruptive innovation” in the last few years. New and creative approaches to established industries are changing the landscape. Examples include Uber disrupting the taxi industry; AirBnB is disrupting…

Featured, One year goals, Plan Summary, Strategy

Use the Power of Positive Thinking in Your Business Plan

Business Plan Summary: Today's tip is on Goal Setting Once you've drafted your company Purpose and Unique Business Proposition, it's time to turn our attention to goal setting. There is something magical about goal setting. Most of us…

Uncategorized

BFM: 89.9 – The Business Station – Soon Heng Lim interviews Brian on the underutilized tool of business planning for your success

According to Small Business Trends, only one in 10 businesses have an active plan. According to surveys, 90% of all business owners who set goals are successful. Yet less than 10% of SMEs have one. Business owners know they need a business…

Business Help, Featured, One year goals, Plan Summary, Strategy, The Planning Process, Unique Business Proposition

Planning Never Stops

Are you feeling like you've been hit by a COVID 19 hurricane? Your business ship took a blow and you've been scrambling to get things back under control. Immediate, urgent, short term plans have been devised and executed. Time lines are hourly,…

Business Help, Execute Action Plans, Featured, Plan Summary

We’re Planning Machines

It’s in our DNA. The human brain is a planning machine. We create hundreds of plans each day, some large, some small. We plan our route to work or school, what to make for dinner, a week-end fishing trip, our next hair appointment. We are…

One year goals, Plan Summary, Strategy

Understanding the relationship between goals and strategies

Now, let’s prioritize and scrub our list. Most initial goal setting lists will contain a mixture of measurable outcomes along with future executed action items, our “to do” list, which we call strategies. Most of us tend to think…

Business Help, Workbook Audio Guide

Introducing Plan Genie – The simplest and fastest way to build a working business plan

Plan Genie, is first and foremost, an on-line tool to assist you in writing a narrative business plan for your business. But is more than that. Plan Genie is a Universal Business Practices Template supported with audio Coaching Modules…

Audio Training, Products and services, fees, Target Market, Where You Are Now

Clarifying Your Products And Services, And Your Customers

In today’s coaching session I would like to talk about Your Products and Services, and your Customers, the first two items in Step 3 of your business plan – Step 3 is what we call the “building blocks” of your business plan.…

Finance and Admin plan, People plan

What is the purpose of having an organization structure diagram

The purpose of an organization structure diagram is to clarify areas of decision making responsibility, reporting lines, and assist communication throughout the company. It is intended to help all employees understand how they can best contribute…

Finance and Admin plan

Why reviewing your organization structure is important

As you assign responsibilities for the action plans, questions may arise around how the company is organized and what people or other resources may be needed to get the job done. This is a good time to review your orga- nization chart, and…

Finance and Admin plan

What are Your Key Performance Indicators?

We all like to know how we are doing, from the CEO to the sales team, the service reps or the admin group. The business plan provides the reference point to measure your progress. Take a look at what you are tracking. Is it relevant and meaningful?…

Marketing plan, Sales Plan

Marketing Plan VS Sales Plan

Your Marketing Plan is any activity that builds the company brand and involves communication with your existing clients and new prospects with the ultimate goal of generating new business opportu- nities for the company. The Sales Plan addresses…

Execute Action Plans

How To Format Action Plans

The format for documenting the action plan has 4 columns. The key to success in executing the plan is to ensure that each activity has a Person Responsible for its comple- tion, and a completion target date. Bear in mind, the person responsible…

Critical Impediments

Listing Critical Impediments

Before jumping into the specific action plans, we suggest you spend a few minutes listing your Critical Impediments. This can be done on a corporate level, and, in larger companies, by the other organization lines, such marketing, sales, operations…

Execute Action Plans

Completing the detailed action plans

Completing the detailed action plans, is where you can fully tap into the talent and resources of your employees. The approach you take will depend on the size and structure of your company. If you are organized around traditional departmental…

Competitors

Capture information and bring some attention to your competitors

This section is designed to capture information and bring some attention to your competitors. Although we don’t recommend spending a lot of energy or focus on competitors, it is helpful to keep track of who they are, and, over time, learn…

Partners, Alliances, Influencers

Our Partners, Alliances and Influencers

Partners, Alliances, and Influencers: This section captures important information about the companies and individuals you rely on to run your business and deliver on your promises to your customers. These may be your suppliers, or other service…

Products and services, fees

Your Product and Services

Look at the array of products and services you currently offer, and how you charge for these. Again, put this information in a format that is easy to understand, both internally and, more importantly, for your current cus- tomers and prospects.…

Target Market

Customer vs. Partner

In the business to business (B2B) world it is common for companies to sell through agents or distributors as well as directly to the end user. If that is true in your case we recommend, for this section of your business plan, you think of your…

Target Market

Who do you sell to? Who is your target audience?

The intent here is to keep you focused on the most important clients, the ones most likely to buy, and the most profitable to your business and to ensure you are offering products or services that are truly NEEDED by your customers. It’s…

Embed Values

How To Clarify Statements About Your Values?

Start with a statement about the value, then clarify the value by adding the words, “which means that ...” and add details about specific behaviours or attitudes that people can understand. Think in terms of behaviours that are observable.…

Embed Values

What Are Value Statements?

Value Statements, we’ve all seen them, typically posted on the walls of the reception area, and elsewhere around the office or plant. Why do companies do this? What purpose do they serve? A friend of mine calls them the “Rules of the Village.” I…

Plan Summary

Before you start to complete the business plan summary workbook

We suggest you gather up all your existing material so you can cut- and-paste some of it into your business plan. A word about how the workbook is designed. The “working” section is where you jot down thoughts, using the prompting questions…

Plan Summary

How and when to engage your employees in the planning process

As you get started, consider how and when to involve other employees. We know that employees are much more committed to completing action plans they understand and have a hand in creating. As a general guideline, Steps 1 and 2, the Business…

Plan Summary

Once the draft plan is written, we suggest you review…

The organization structure: Are there any changes, additions, deletions needed to align your people to deliver on the action plans? As your plans change over time, your organization structure may also need to change. Note, the plan leads the…

Plan Summary

Step 4: Detailed Action Plans

Before turning your mind to specific action plans, we suggest you start this section by making a list of Critical Impediments. This will give you a reference point, and generate some ideas to prime the pump as you begin the important work of…

Plan Summary

Step 3: The Building Blocks

Document the current state of your business in terms of: Who are your customers, your target market? Who do you sell to? This is a list of descriptive criteria that you use to identify your ideal customers.What are your current products,…

Embed Values, Plan Summary

Step 2: A Description Your Corporate Values

These are the specific behaviours, attitudes and beliefs that are necessary for success and make up the personal- ity and culture of your company. These are critically important and will pay dividends well into the future if they are clearly…

Destination 3 year goals, One year goals, Plan Summary, Purpose, Strategy, Unique Business Proposition

Step 1: Drafting the Business Plan Summary

This is a short, succinct, 1-2 page outline, that contains a clear description of the following: Unique Business Proposition This is the who, what, where and how of your business that makes you special and unique. Purpose for being…

Featured, Plan Summary

The Planning Process

There is a process to planning, and it is a continuous process, as your plan will be constantly changing in response to your changing business situation. Fixing regular review dates, in your corporate calendar, is critical to the success of…

Featured, Plan Summary

What exactly is a business plan?

A Business Plan has two parts. The first part is the narrative plan: A description of what you expect your business to achieve and how you will accomplish these goals. It starts with an outline of where you are today, and includes a description…

Plan Summary

About Financial Projections

Preparing a budget and running future financial projections is an important part of your business plan. There are many tools available on the internet to help you do that, and you can seek advice from your accountant if this is not your area…

Plan Summary

Gain a deeper understanding of your business

As you create your written plan you will gain a deeper understanding of your business and be able to effectively communicate this understanding to your employees, your customers, and to your business partners. Our format and workbook were created…

Plan Summary

For many entrepreneurial leaders, acquiring a planning discipline is difficult

Many see a business plan as con- fining and want the agility to respond to the changing challenges that emerge. They prefer the excitement, and often take pride, in their ability to make quick decisions when new opportunities arise. It may be…

Featured, Plan Summary

Clarity Creates Confidence

Lewis Carol in “Alice in Wonderland” said it best: One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” was his response. “I don’t know,”…

Organization Chart, Video

The Organization Structure

The purpose of an organization structure diagram is to clarify areas of decision making, responsibility, reporting lines, and assist communication throughout the company. It is intended to help all employees understand how they can best contribute…

Technology plan, Video

Technology

Technology: All activities, processes, tools related to advancing the company's capability via technology support systems.

Partner and Alliances plan, Video

Partners and Alliances

This list of action plans may include items such as: Review and assess performance of all partners, track KPI’s (key performance indicators) for easy assessment Schedule 90 day, repeating meetings, with all high performing partners…

Featured, Plan Summary, Video

Why running your business from a plan is important

Plan Summary, Video

Magnetic Force

Plan Summary, Video

Planning Webinar

Join us for a planning lesson to learn this core business skill before you start your plan.

Plan Summary, Video

The Planning Process

The Plan Genie 4 Step model provides the tools to write your plan. Before you begin, it's important to consider the planning process you intend to follow and decide how and when to involve your executive team, partners, and your employees. Planning…

Plan Summary, Video

What Is the 4 Step Business Plan

Purpose, Unique Business Proposition, Video

Planning Navigation

A word about how this workbook application is designed: Each section of the Workbook contains a series of questions with space for your answers. As you complete each section you simply save your work, and you can print or save it as…

Embed Values, Video

Company Values

The CEO's ethical standards give rise to the Corporate Culture. To state the reverse, the Organization's Values and Ethical Standards reflect those of the CEO, an individual, but the one with the most authority and power in the organization. Core…

Video, Where You Are Now

Marketing

Note: For this application, we distinguish between marketing and sales activities as two different, but related, processes. Your marketing plan is any activity that: builds the company brand involves communication with your target…

Service, operations plan, Video

Operations and Customer Service

Operations/Customer Service: all activity, systems, processes, tools required to fulfill our commitments in the sales contract – and deliver more than we promise.

Finance and Admin plan, Video

Finance and Administration

Finance: Activities, systems, processes, tools required to track and document all financial transactions and manage the company's capital assets. Administration: Activities, systems, processes, tools required to support day to day ad…

Sales Plan, Video

Sales

The sales plan includes all activities, processes, and tools required to convert new opportunities/leads into a new contract and follow through work to build "customers for life"

People plan, Video

People and Human Resources

Human Resources: Activities, systems, processes, tools required to track and document HR activities - selection, performance development, training, compensation system, and benefits.

Audio Training, Business Help, Partners, Alliances, Influencers

Understand Why Keeping Your Written Business Plan Current Is Key To Success

Business Plans only work if you keep at it In many ways, running your business from a plan is similar to keeping fit through regular exercise. We all know its good for us, but keeping up the habit can be a challenge. And like exercise,…

Business Help, Organization Chart, Workbook Audio Guide

Insights On How To Measure Your Progress And Business Success

Now that you have completed your narrative business plan, there are three more things to consider to ensure the plan remains relevant and the planning process gains momentum. Once the action plans are completed, it’s a important to…

Audio Training, Embed Values

Recognizing The Purpose Of Company Values In Business Planning

In today’s segment I would like to talk about company Values, which is part 2 of your business plan. Value Statements, we’ve all seen them, typically posted on the walls of the reception area, and elsewhere around the office or plant.…

Community and Environment plan, Critical Impediments, Execute Action Plans, Finance and Admin plan, Marketing plan, Organization Chart, Service, operations plan, Workbook Audio Guide

Tapping Into Your Talent And Resources To Execute Action Plans

We will review Step 4 of your business plan, completing the detailed action plans. Step 4 is where you can fully tap into the talent and resources of your employees. The approach you take will depend on the size and structure of your…

Audio Training, Organization Chart, People plan

Highlighting The Importance Of A Business Plan When It Comes To Sharing Information

Today, I want talk about some of the things that keep business owners awake at night. Let me start by relaying a story I heard a number of years ago from Peter Schutz, the former CEO of Porsche, the German car manufacturer. He told this…

Destination 3 year goals, Featured, One year goals, Plan Summary, Purpose, Strategy, The Planning Process, Unique Business Proposition

5 pieces of useful information contained in your business plan summary

Your Business Plan Summary is the foundation document for building a working business plan. This is a relatively easy document to prepare and to modify over time. The Plan Summary allows you to effectively communicate the direction you foresee…

Competitors, Partners, Alliances, Influencers, Products and services, fees, Target Market, Where You Are Now, Workbook Audio Guide

Why You Should Gather Information About Your Current Business Situation

We will look at Step 3 of your Business Plan; gathering some baseline information and documenting where you are now. This is information about: Your Customers - who you sell to, who is your target audience Your Product and Services,…

Embed Values, Workbook Audio Guide

Why Company Values Are So Important When It Comes To Business Planning

The intention for this section of your business plan is to document the behaviours and attitudes that form the basis of your corporate culture. These are the “ Rules of the Village”, that everyone follows. Once these rules are clearly…

Plan Summary, Workbook Audio Guide

An In-Depth Look At Creating Your Business Plan Summary

Note: if you are running an existing business, that is, not a start-up, most of the information you need to write your business plan is likely already contained in various documents in your company. This work book will help you organize…

Business Help, Featured, Plan Summary, Workbook Audio Guide

Plan Genie’s 4 Steps to Writing Your Business Plan

In this audio segment, I will explain the 4 steps to writing the business plan.

Business Help, Workbook Audio Guide

Understanding The Process of Business Planning

We need to look first at the process of planning Let’s start with the basics, – what exactly is a business plan? Business Plans have two parts, The first part is the narrative plan- a description of what you expect your business…

Uncategorized

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