Best Start. 4 day Business Planning Course
Training & Development Courses

Introduction

By the end of this four day workshop you will have developed your business plan, allowing you to test the viability of your business. With further development, that we can support, the plan is designed to cover all areas required in a quality business loan application.

We have workshops in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. The four days are non-consecutive giving you time to apply your skills and knowledge and build your business plan.

As an attendee you will benefit from working in a small group, guaranteeing you individual attention from a business support specialist. Along with a valuable course manual you will receive business plan and business financial templates to work with. This business training course will provide you with the tools and necessary knowledge to help build confidence and motivate you for success in self employment.

This 4 day course can form part of a funded* intensive business support programme designed to increase your chances of accessing start-up business finance from 10% to 70% (source Barclays Bank). This training is only 1 element of that programme.

If you are interested in a support programme involving advice and mentoring as well as this training and/or require business start-up finance then

call us on 0845 60 99 99 1

and speak to one of our team on the Ready for Business Investment Readiness programme.

*criteria applies.

Delivered by our team of business support specialists.

Assumed Knowledge

Although not essential, it can be helpful to have attended the Free Barclays 'Get Ready for Business' seminar before enrolling.

Course Outline

Day 1 - The business plan

• Understand the principles and practice of business planning
• Produce a survival budget and establish start up costs
• Begin to explore the legal and regulatory requirements of your business
• Learn how to create a ‘SWOT’ analysis
• Business Strategy – begin to identify the key aims for your business and set ‘SMART’ goals
• Identify the key tasks

Day 2 - Marketing

• Explore the importance of market research
• Define what “marketing” is
• Discover and practice using the “marketing mix”
• Understand what is contained in a Business Marketing Plan
• Develop your businesses’ ‘features and benefits’
• Create a verbal business card
• Learn how to structure your marketing material using AIDA

Day 3 - Business finance, forecasting

• Understand the importance of financial planning and control
• Produce forecasts for sales, cash flow, asset register and profit and loss

• Explore Income Tax/VAT
• Understand self assessment
• Calculate a basic tax bill for a sole trader
• Discuss tax deductible allowances and Annual Investment Allowances
• Practice basic bookkeeping

Learning Outcomes

• Write a business plan to evaluate and test viability
• Understand the steps required when starting a business
• Monitor and analyse business performance based on forecasts
• Adjust activities to stay on course for success