Putting together an implementation plan is the last step before you start a social business.
Now that you’ve designed your social enterprise in enough detail to give confidence in its feasibility, it’s time to demonstrate that it is possible to get it off the ground.
How to create an implementation plan?
Starting up your social business will involve several stages, processes and events, some of which will be taking place simultaneously. Draw a diagram showing how they link together and how they are dependent upon each other.
Once you have your diagram, try to put a timescale on it. If there is any uncertainty, indicate earliest and latest expected or proposed dates for the completion of each event.
Implementation plan steps
When you are putting together your implementation plan, think of each event as an objective you need to achieve. For each objective, define:
- How you will achieve it
- Who is responsible for achieving it
- What resources they need and where those will come from
- How you will monitor progress;
Think of this as a reality check. If you find that achieving any of your objectives is unrealistic, go back a few stages in your planning and address the issue. If an objective which turns out to be unrealistic is also a critical success factor, put everything on hold until you have resolved the problem.
Consider extending your implementation plan beyond the start-up point. It may be useful to go into the early stages of the growth and further development of the business, perhaps up to the break-even point.