Nine Elements

Designed to introduce and establish the framework on which you will build your business, this element examines the optimum legal structure for your business and explores the medium and long term objectives for the business and its owners.

We examine the industry sector in which you operate and the forces at play within that sector.

This Element also incorporates a detailed Situation Analysis and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).

We conduct a detailed analysis of your products and / or services, their characteristics, features and benefits, and we commence to explore the factors that make them attractive to your customers.

We also examine your plans for the future development of the products and services of your business, as well as analysing the characteristics, opportunities and prospects that are present within your market and industry sector.

We begin the process of determining what is critical to the survival and growth of your business.

This element contains a detailed analysis of the demographics of the market in which you operate and the characteristics of the customers with whom you conduct business.

We examine customer profiles both existing and desired and determine the customer groups with whom you interact, including their “motivations, wants and needs”.

We also carry-out a detailed Competitive Analysis examining the relative strengths of your business with those of your key competitors.

In this element, we analyse and review your presentation and branding to ensure we achieve maximum outcome from your selling activity ensuring that you achieve your full sales potential.

We examine the effectiveness of your presentation and branding, how we deliver our message to the market and the impression we create.

We look at the elements of brand awareness and the role that pricing policy plays in our marketing and sales methodology.

The key to success of any business is the effectiveness of Operational Policies and Procedures.

We examine the key functional attributes of your business, your operational policies and management practices.

We examine the organisation structure, the effectiveness of your purchasing and supply chains and the efficiency of the systems that support these functions.

We also review the effectiveness of the resources that support your business and we touch on customer service capabilities.

In this element, we examine how we manage the most important resource of your business – you and your people.

The selection, management and motivation of people are essential components to the success of every business.

Knowing why, who and when to make best use of the people associated with your business, internally and externally, can be achieved through effective systems.

We introduce systems and procedures to minimise the risks to the success of your business by finding, satisfying and retaining the right people.

This is where we review the complex range of legal matters associated with operating a business.

Element 7 looks at the legal principals and policies involved in running your business.

We review the effectiveness of key documents such as partnership or shareholder agreements, confidentiality deeds, and the existence of contractual arrangements with key employees, suppliers and customers.

We conduct an extensive review of the insurance needs of your business and we look at the impact of key documentation within the business from a legal perspective.

The purpose of this component of the Business Planning Process is to formulate an interactive budget worksheet that forms the basis of financial targets for your business.

This will then become a regular process of documenting the budgeting information for your business.

Keeping on track then becomes a matter of making incremental adjustments to your forecasts as and when necessary.

We also develop a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that provide the ‘non-financial’ measures of business success.

This is the final part of a series of Business Planning Tools developed by Shoreline to assist you in achieving ultimate business success.

The purpose of this part of your Business Planning process is to identify critical success factors that will determine the success and sustainability of your business.

We also examine the risk environment in which your business operates and develop strategies to manage these factors.

There are inherent risks in all areas of business. The identification of significant risks allows strategies to be developed to avoid, control, or even turn these into benefits or opportunities.