The document outlines a one-year business plan template that focuses on action and short-term goals. It includes sections for organization goals, budgets, division goals, promotion strategies, timelines, and staff responsibilities. The plan should be created 6 months before the next fiscal year, approved 3 months prior, and include an end-of-year report 3 months after the fiscal year. Having a written one-year plan with involvement from all staff helps set benchmarks, guides execution, and increases accountability to meet financial and performance targets.

1. Your One-Year Business Plan

2. Your One-Year Business Plan

3. Shift from
Market Plan to
Business Plan

4. The Three Most Essential
Practices To Do
• Think planning
• Have a written plan
• Everyone executes plan

5. Why You Need a One-Year Business
Plan
• Financial pressures and increased accountability
and competition mean you can’t afford to just do
it.
• Increased capability of technology, staff, and
other resources.
• Two to five-year strategic plans focus on long-
term fixes and new initiatives, while a one-year
business plan focuses on action and today’s
customers.

6. A One-Year Business Plan…
• Is a blueprint for action.
• Is more than dates, numbers, and dreams.
• Integrates all components of your organization.
• Must involve all in creation.
• Must be used by all in planning and acting.
• Provides benchmarks and guidelines.

7. Whose Role is it to
be One-Year Business Plan Leader?
CEO/DIRECTOR

8. One-Year Business Plan Timeline
• Start 6 months prior to the start of your next
fiscal year
• The plan should be complete and approved 3
months prior to the start of your next fiscal year
• End-of-Year Report to be completed 3 months
after the completion of your fiscal year

9. One-Year Business Plan Foundation
• Description
• Mission and vision
• Values statements and USP
• Challenges and opportunities
• Data and benchmarks
• Divisions and delivery methods

10. One-Year Business Plan Structure
• Organization Goals
• Organization Budget & Benchmarks
• Division Goals
▫ Operating Margin Budget
▫ Benchmarks
▫ Course/Contract Goals
▫ Market Segments
▫ Strategies
• Term/Quarter
• Promotion Strategies: Type/Distribution/Retention
• Promotion Timeline
• Staff Responsibilities

11. Organization Goals
• Major goals you will set to improve overall
organization performance
• No more than 5, but you could add more later
• Brainstorm and vote

12. Organization Budget & Benchmarks
• Budget
 Income $2,000,000 100%
 Promotion $300,000 15%
 Production $900,000 45%
 Direct Costs $1,200,000 60%
 Operating Margin $800,000 40%
 Administration $700,000 35%
 Net $100,000 5%

13. Organization Budget & Benchmarks
• Benchmarks
 New
Products/Services
20%
 Staff Productivity $125,000

14. Division Goals
A. Operating margin budgets
B. Benchmarks
C. Course/contract goals
D. Market segments to be targeted
E. Growth strategies

15. Benchmarks
OE CT
• Cancellation Rate
• New Course/Events
• Quality Score
• Repeat Rate
• Promotion:Registration Ratio
• Average Participants
• Cancellation Rate
• New Products/Services
• Quality Score
• Repeat/Referral/Cold Call
Rates
• Lead:Contract Ratio
• Average Contract Price

16. Term/Quarter
A. Income
B. Courses/events/contracts

17. Promotion Strategies
• Promotions: catalogs, eMarketing, social media,
advertisements, sales kit
• Distribution: mail, radio, online, salespeople,
inbound and outbound
• Retention: tracking, benefits, gimmicks

18. Promotion Timeline
• OE campaigns
• CT lead generation campaigns

19. Staff Responsibilities
Operations
Professional
Programming
Professional
Sales
Professional
CEO/Director
Programming
Staff
Instructors
Sales
Staff
Operations
Staff
Front Line
Staff
Information
Specialist
Promotions
Professional

20. A Strategy for Sanity
• Think out three years and plan for one.
• Set reasonable goals for your first effort.
• Set aside more time for the first effort.
• Involve staff so they are committed.
• Create your own benchmarks.
• Spell out plans to better your performance.
• Make the plan vital… refer to it frequently.
• Celebrate victories.

21. Monitoring One-Year Business Plan
• Term/quarterly financial updates
• Term/quarterly benchmark updates
• Term/quarterly meeting
- Goals
- Finances and benchmarks
- Timelines

22. End-Of-Year Report
A. Organization Goals Performance: performance
B. End-of-Year Finances: budget and actual
C. Promotion Timeline: on-time report
D. Promotion Performance: ratios and ROI
E. End-Of Year Statistics: organization and
division

23. Thank You
Greg Marsello
www.lern.org