This additional information goes beyond lean planning into the background behind it, including financial projections, strategy, and a lot of market analysis, marketing strategy, product strategy, and competitive analysis. The lean business plan by itself just lists the highlights, so the book Lean Business Planning doesn’t include all this background. But it is important, so I’ve made it available here on this website because it can be helpful.
It includes:
- Standard Financial Projections: Going beyond what’s strictly needed for the lean business plan, including everything you (as a business owner) need to know about formal financials projections. That includes What you Need to Know about financials, plus practical guides on how to project the correct Profit And Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow.
- Real-World Business Strategy: Your lean plan summarizes your strategy, for your own use, in bullet points. This section helps you actually develop your strategy, covering Stories as Strategy, SWOT, Strategic Positioning, Strategic Alignment, Strategic Statements, and Strategic Growth
- Know Your Market: You have to know your market to do your lean planning, and this section covers how you do that. It includes research, segmentation, intersection, TAM, SAM, and so forth.
- Know Your Competition: Gives you tips and methodologies on researching the competition, developing a competitive matrix, and working competition into your strategy.
- Your Marketing Plan: How to develop a marketing plan including segmentation, strategic segmentation, differentiation, promotion, and of course social media.
- Your Product Plan: How to develop detailed product plans including sourcing, scheduling, key benefits, launches, etc.
This material is not included in the book Lean Business Planning.