Lean Business Planning

Lean planning is best for businesses that need to move fast, test assumptions, revise, and get moving again. It’s short and simple, and meant to get everyone on the same page as quickly as possible. 

This option is suitable for the early planning stages when you are still assessing the viability of your idea. It gets some of the key concepts of a business plan down onto a single page, covering off:

• Strategy: What you’re going to do
• Tactics: How you’re going to do it
• Business model: How you’re going to make money
• Schedule: Who is doing what and when

A lean business plan probably isn’t going to be suitable to secure financing, but it is a useful tool that will help you quickly figure out if your ideas have potential and what you might need to change to build a viable business. It’s simpler and faster than writing a traditional business plan. And, possibly, the greatest benefit is that the lean method can benefit both start-ups and established businesses. 

If you don’t intend to seek funding, a one-page may be all you need. The key is regularly revisiting it to stay on top of your business.