A new online planning and management tool for small to medium businesses, BPlan Live, has been launched in time for the new financial year, in conjunction with a special offer.
Offering a 30-day free trial and 30 percent monthly discount for packages starting in June, BPlan Live aims to be the solution for the 40 percent of Australian businesses currently operating without business plans.
Over 15 percent of new businesses do not survive their first year and 26 percent are forced to abandon ship within the first two years. A solid business plan, that’s time effective and cost effective, is the critical element to ensuring success.
“Too often businesses write up a business plan, throw it in the desk drawer and forget about it for the rest of the year. BPlan Live is all about creating a truly useful and relevant document that will help, not hinder, business management throughout the year,” BPlan Live Manager and Marketing Expert Adam Basheer said.
The tool aims to make planning as easy as possible for small businesses that might be put off by business jargon and the expense of traditional planning. It helps users recognise key issues to focus on for growth, creates a simple and effective plan to meet those goals in an easy-to-read dashboard and sends automatic reminders to help managers and staff stay focused.
“The ‘drag and drop’ examples are particularly useful for Sole Operators, the dashboard and reminders help SMEs identify priorities for each business stream and activities for each team member, franchisees can work from a common format, and business coaches can use the tool with their clients,” Basheer added.
Some key tips to remember while planning, according to BPlan Live, are:
- Focus and prioritise the key issues that will get you to your business goals fastest.
- Set realistic targets and time frames
- Be specific about actions to be taken and those responsible
