Planning a Business

This page provides the journey from ideation to launching a business. There are many steps in planning a business not all are applicable to each business type, but the following may help in orienting about where the need may be. All business planning has common areas which should be considered when starting a business.

Industry-specific questions

If the customer has an idea of what industry they want to start a business in that matches one of these industries, it may be helpful to start here:

• Planning a Business: Food Industry
• Planning a Business: Childcare

Exploratory & Orientation Questions

• What have you thought about so far?
• Do you have a business plan? If so, next question. If not, general starting a business resources.

Marketing

Questions related to marketing in general and applicable across contexts.

• How do I find out who my potential customers are?
• How might I reach my potential customers?
• What kinds of marketing activities are possible?

Competition

Questions related to understanding competitors in a market

• How do I find out who my (potential) competitors are?

Revenue/Sales

• How can I estimate how much I could earn from my business?
• How might my potential customers pay for my goods and services?
• What kinds of sales channels are possible?
• What kinds of revenue streams are possible?

Expenses/Operations

• What might it cost to run my business?
• How do I find out who my potential partners are?
• How can I find or choose a location for my business?
• How do I get medical benefits for myself and my employees?
• Where can I get funding?

Cleaning Industry Operations

• Where do I buy used equipment for my cleaning business?

Legal

• How do I get official?
• What do I need to do to comply with tax laws?

Business Plan

If a business plan draft is ready and it may be time to look to local resources for registering and Launching a Business.