Make your mistakes on paper! It is essential to think through your businesses’ operations, management, marketing and financials before starting your business. The following tools will help you and your group plan. Consider what kind of plan you need. The process of planning is usually more valuable then the document created. Are you using the business plan as proof of concept, internal living document, or to gain financing? Business plans range from back-of-the-napkin to financial projection spreadsheets to polished, detailed documents.
One Page Business Plan Testing your business idea can be accomplished in just One Page.
You can also refer to The Kohala Center’s simple templates for business and project planning as well as financial planning.
Farm Production and Business Planning
The UH-Agribusiness Incubator Program developed these spreadsheet guides for Production Planning, Cost of Production and Spreadsheet, Marketing Worksheet and Business Planning for small farm and agriculture businesses in Hawaii. The Hawaii Agribusiness Guidebook is also a good resource for agribusiness planning.
Hawaii 2019 Resource Guide for Small Businesses
Published by the U.S. Small Business Administration
Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota.
Co-op Business Plan Template Great outline for a business plan specific to a cooperative.
Business Planning Power Point A descriptive and helpful power point on business planning by Tim O’Connell.
Initial Sources and Uses Simple tool for groups interested in forming coops to consider where their income will be coming from and what kind of expenses they will have to see if their business idea is worth pursuing.
Market Business Plan Questions to consider when developing your business plan—five-section outline for a market business plan.
Business Plans University of Kentucky’s guide that details the necessary points in any business plan.
Business Design Organizational/structural techniques and tax tips for your business from Tim O’Connell.
Small Business Association Helpful Business Planning Template and Financial Projection Spreadsheets to flesh out your ideas.
FarmsReach’s useful business and financial planning toolkit.
Borrowing Money for Your Business – Oahu RC&D Agribusiness Training Series
Prepared by: James R. Hollyer, Program Manager CTAHR, ADAP Project, University of Hawai‘i