Talk:Business plan
From Cultivate.Coop
Contents
| Thread title | Replies | Last modified |
|---|---|---|
| Differences in Business Planning for Co-ops vs. Traditional Businesses | 2 | 22:37, 21 February 2011 |
| Common Mistakes in Writing Business Plans | 2 | 22:31, 21 February 2011 |
Differences in Business Planning for Co-ops vs. Traditional Businesses
What differences are there in terms of writing a business plan for a co-op vs. a traditional business?
there really should be a section in a co-ops business plan that explains how the values and principles that define a co-op are to be manifest to enusre its differentiation to a traditional private business;
also something about key Performance Indicators and how these will be used by the co-op to monitor its success not only in financial, but also co-operative terms: [1]
(submitted by me in my capacity as a previous officer evaluating applications to a co-op loan fund...)
I think this is a really good point. Whenever I've sought out advice on how to build a cooperative business plan, the information I've been told has almost always been identical to a regular business plan - which has not stuck well with me. So measuring performance indicators in terms of both financial success and cooperative success is really interesting. What do you think some of the "Performance Indicators" of a cooperative are?
Common Mistakes in Writing Business Plans
What are some common mistakes people make when writing business plans for a co-op?
1. getting someone else to do it for them who doesn't necessarily 'get' you
2. not being clear as to why they're spending time in creating it
3. using a generic template designed for private businesses and thinking that it'll be fine... (see comments posted to 'Differences in Business Planning for Co-ops vs. Traditional Businesses)
(offered in my capacity as an enterprise advisor whose approach and comments on business planning have been endorsed by the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneruship - [1])
