SKILLS FOR GROWTH: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Dealmaking & Contract Management Worksheet
Identifying common goals and interests, and creating mutually beneficial solutions, is what business is all about. Negotiation is the cornerstone of the dealmaking process.
1.	With whom will you be negotiating, and for what reason?
2.	For each negotiation listed above, what are your primary and secondary interests? What would a win-win solution look like?
3.	What systems will you put in place to review and improve your business’s contract management? How often will you review your contract performance?
4.	What systems will you put in place to review and improve the contract performance of your partners? How often will you review their performance?
5.	What tools will you use to manage contracts (calendars, software, etc.)?
6.	Will you appoint a contract manager for your business? If so, who? Outline the authority and responsibilities for this position.
7.	How will you stay in touch with your contract partners (phone, email, newsletter, personal meetings, social media such as Twitter or Facebook, etc.)?
Resource Management Worksheet
1.	What tax incentives are available in your area for green policies, appliances, equipment, practices or improvements? (You can search for incentives by state at www.dsireusa.org.)
2.	Are there any laws, costs or regulations that your business could avoid by switching from a regulated material to a nonhazardous, recycled, renewable or nontoxic alternative?
3.	What are the largest uses of electricity and water at your business? What steps can you take to reduce these costs?
4.	What steps can you take to reduce the amount of waste at your business?
Financial Management Worksheet
1.	What are the most important internal financial ratios for your business? How can you use them to avoid problems and improve profits?
2.	What are the most important external financial ratios for your business? How can you use them to manage your business, avoid problems and improve your competitiveness?
3.	What are the standard benchmarks for financial performance in your industry?
Project Management Worksheet
1.	Who will be in charge of project management at your organization? What is the job description?
2.	Which methods will you use for status reporting during projects, both internally and externally?
3.	What policies will you put in place to meet quality control standards for your projects?
4.	Which of your projects (if any) are large or complex enough to require using project management software?
5.	Which project management software will you use (if any), and why?
You’re Almost Done!
You’re now ready to pull together the last few pieces that will make your plan complete.
The front pieces of your NxLeveL® Business Plan introduce and organize the plan for easy reading.
The Cover Page identifies your business’s name, owners and contact information, as well as the month and year in which the plan was completed.
The Table of Contents lists all sections by page number.
The Executive Summary highlights the most important information from the plan and gets the reader interested in reading more.
The Appendix contains supporting documents that will give the reader as complete a picture of your business as possible.
Follow the instructions on the following pages to create these last pieces, and then look at the NxLeveL® Business Plan Outline to see how they fit into your completed plan.
Executive Summary Worksheet
After you finish the other sections of your plan, take the best two or three details from each section to create a summary. The key to creating a good summary is to write it with your audience in mind. If your plan is going to a banker, your summary should address a banker’s concerns.
The summary should be no longer than one page, and the information should be in the same order as the sections of your plan. The summary should read like a condensed version of a book. In other words, the ideas must flow together. They can’t be a jumble of loosely connected thoughts. Pick your key points carefully, and remember your purpose: to make the reader want to continue reading.
Step 1	Look back at your Business Description, Product Description, Mission Statement and Business Goals and Objectives. Get a clear picture of how you want to present your business to your reader. Can you summarize your purpose, mission, goals and objectives in a way that will make the reader want to learn more?
Step 2	Review the Business Concept and Business Organization and Operations sections that you completed in Sessions 1 through 3. Include the names and relevant background of the owner(s), as well as important team members. State why you (and your management team) are qualified to move forward with your business idea, and explain how crucial your management capabilities are to the project. Note any intellectual property, existing contracts or market research findings that support your business concept.
Step 3	Summarize your Marketing Plan section in a way that shows the reader you have done your homework. Introduce your target market, demonstrate a thorough knowledge of your target customers and their needs, and explain your positioning and competitive advantage in that market. Make sure readers understand what’s different or better about your business idea, and show them that you know how to sell product benefits to your target customers. Last, discuss the growth potential for each target market.
Step 4	Review your Financial Plan. Summarize your financial requirements for startup or growth, as well as your estimated sales and profits. If you’re using your plan to get a loan, you should also explain how much capital you need, how you will use it to achieve your goals and what type of collateral you offer.
Writing Your Business Plan
Use the information from this session to write the section of the NxLeveL® Business Plan shown below. NOTE: We’re asking you to begin developing your Executive Summary now, because it often takes several rewrites to get it right. Also, you may need to make corrections before writing your final draft of the business plan. Section I. Executive Summary Write a one-page summary of the various sections of your NxLeveL® Business Plan. Remember: Your goal is to make the reader want to read more!
Cover and Title Page
The Cover Page and Title Page should both include the following information:
Name of the business. If your corporation or LLC carries one name, but you actually do business under another name, show both (see example below).
Business address.
Business contact info (including phone number, email and website address).
Logo (if you have one).
Month and year the business plan was completed.
Here’s an example:
Ominex, LLC dba
Marble Alley
1311 N. Boulevard Highway, #511
Townsville, AM 40171
Tel: (102) 077-0211
Email: info@suet-trees.com
www.suet-trees.com
October 2018
Table of Contents
Organize the Table of Contents to show the major section headings, along with the page number that starts each section. It’s even better if you show detailed subheadings under the sections, so that readers can easily find the information they need. For example:
Table of Contents
Section 	I.  Executive Summary	1
Section 	II. Business Concept	3
A. Business Description	4
B. Business Goals and Objectives	4
C. Industry Information	4
Industry Background
Current and Future Trends
Business Fit in the Industry
Executive Summary
Now, take one more look at your Executive Summary. It may be tempting to make this section longer than one page, but don’t. If you can’t get your reader interested in one page, you probably can’t do it in two. Be clear, concise and compelling!
Appendix Worksheet
This section of your business plan should include any information or documents that support or explain the case you made in the body of the plan.
Step 1	Identify your intended audience.
Different audiences will require you to prepare slightly different attachments. For instance, the attachments you send to a banker for a loan would be more detailed than the attachments you would send to a supplier to establish trade credit.
Step 2	Identify desired supporting documents.
Using the worksheet on the following page, identify documents you’ll use as supporting evidence for your business plan. Consider which supporting materials you need, based on your audience.
Step 3	Collect supporting documents.
Step 4	Prepare a simple cover page for the Appendix, and list the documents you’ve included in their order of appearance.
Appendix Worksheet
Supporting documents to be considered for Appendix | Needed? | Completed
Historical business financial statements - 3 years
Historical business tax returns - 3 years
Current business credit report
Résumé for each owner
Résumés for key employees
Recent tax return for each owner
Organizational chart
Job descriptions
Property layout (showing outbuildings) or floor layout (showing fixed assets)
Photos of business and/or equipment
Map showing location
Photos of products
Photos of marketing tools
Lease/rental agreements
Contracts
Loan documents
Credit reports of major customers
Licenses or permits
Letters of reference
Market survey report
Logo design
Registered trademarks, copyrights or patents
Appraisals
List of attorney, accountant, and other business consultants
Certifications
Writing Your Business Plan
Gather the supporting documents you identified in the previous exercise. Then, use the information to write the section of the NxLeveL® Business Plan shown below. Appendix List the contents of the Appendix under this heading on a separate page, in the order in which the documents will appear. Then, include those documents in that order.