Planning

Demystifying the Business Plan

Myth: Business plans are behemoth documents that must be 100 pages, contain 5 year projections, 15 graphs and specific details on how you’re going to exit the business in 3-5 years.

Fact: Business plans are meant to be guides to help you articulate your business vision. They can be as long or as detailed as necessary but what matters most are clarity and depth.

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Creating a Dynamic and Effective Business Model

ENERGY SECTOR entrepreneur Kwabena Smith enthralled the audience at October’s Entrepreneurs’ Ecosystem coffee morning, leading a discussion on business model planning at the Daisy Management Centre in Lagos.

Smith began the morning – fully entitled ‘Strategy and Scenario Planning: Creating a Dynamic and Effective Business Model’ – by providing the gathering with an insight into his fascinating career to date, from his furniture business in Ghana to his current role as founder and head of strategy and business development at Orun Energy. Read more

Creating a Unique Company Culture

I knew I was on track with my company culture plan when, one day, on the office suggestion board an employee had written “dress as a pirate” day.   I run a call center, and it’s important for me to have a team that’s energetic and committed to establishing an enjoyable workplace.  Though creating a fun-filled work environment may sound like an easy project to initiate, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Read more

Choosing the Right Name for Your Online Business

During these challenging economic times, many entrepreneurs are moving their businesses to the Web to help broaden their reach and lower the cost of operations. In this case, the right business name can mean the difference between success and failure. Having developed online strategies for companies around the world, I’ve come up with some tips to help entrepreneurs better establish their online presence: Read more

Business Planning Advice from Grofin

At GroFin, we place emphasis on the entrepreneur and your business’s potential to make a profit. The most successful entrepreneurs that walk through our door possess a good business plan that clearly communicates goals and will assist in securing finance and support. It proves provides funders with the security that you are prepared for any risk, and have realistic expectations. Read more

Building scalable businesses

The majority of corporations started out as SMEs. How were these businesses able to rise from their humble beginnings to the huge national/global corporation they have become today?

Starting or growing a business requires clear statements of your goals and strategies to achieve them. If planning is ever done, it is focused on the commercial side of the business, with the operational side not thoroughly considered. While the operational back office is the heart of the business, the commercial front office can be likened to the blood. Should the heart cease to beat, the blood will stop flowing. Read more